


Star-Crossed

by Gwenhwyfar1984



Category: Haven - Fandom
Genre: Alternate Universe, Complex Consent Issues, Drama, F/M, Swearing, Tragedy, Violence
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-08-27
Updated: 2015-08-28
Packaged: 2018-04-17 11:59:20
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 22
Words: 36,379
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4665750
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Gwenhwyfar1984/pseuds/Gwenhwyfar1984
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>AU. Mara escapes her world so that she can build a new life for herself and her husband, William. Little does she know that her actions will have consequences stretching far into the future...especially for Audrey and Duke.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> MASSIVE thank you to TanyaReed for being my writing buddy and betaing this fanfiction! I could not have done this without her!
> 
> Disclaimer: Haven is the property of Entertainment One, Big Motion Pictures Productions, Piller Segan Shepherd, Shaw Media, Universal Networks International and possibly other companies. I am in no way connected to them. In other words, I Do Not Own.
> 
> Trigger Warning: This fanfiction deals with Sarah/Audrey/Lexie inhabiting Mara's body, and the problems that come with that. Because of this I address the complex issue of consent. This fanfiction also addresses miscarriage and the loss of children. Please take this into consideration!
> 
> Except for the names "aether" and "Charlotte" this fanfic is based strictly on plots what do not go past the season 4 finale.

** Part One: Mara **

**“Why then, O brawling love! O loving hate!** **”**

**Romeo and Juliet (Act I, Sc. I)**

 

Mara’s plan was almost complete.

She had been working on it secretly for two months. Her every waking moment was devoted to it, to moving the pawns in her game into place. All that was left was one thing.

She watched as William set the plate in front of her, smiled, and sat in his chair. Her heart began to pound as he picked up his fork, tasting each item on his dish until he finally settled on his favorite. Mara picked up her own fork, surveyed her meal, and then set it back down. Her stomach was churning, and the food now looked unappetizing.

“William, we need to talk,” she told him, licking her dry lips. Her voice was softer than usual.

“All right.” He looked the expression on her face. “What’s wrong?”

“We need to get out of this place.”

He looked around at their small apartment. “Why?”

She shook her head. The first time she opened her mouth, nothing came out. Taking a deep breath, she tried again. “No. I meant…we need to get out of this place. We need to go to the other world.”

William dropped his fork. It hit the plate so hard that she involuntarily flinched. “What?”

She looked him in the eyes. “We need to go to the other world.”

“You’re serious?” He began to whisper. “Mara, it’s forbidden to go there. It’s forbidden to even think about that place. You, of all people, should know this! What’s gotten into you?”

Mara didn’t speak. Picking up a forkful of her food, she took a bite, forcing herself to chew and swallow. William watched her do this, his impatience growing by the second. Finally, she put down her fork. “It’s because something is in me that we have to go.”

“What are you talking about?”

“I didn’t want to tell you like this…I’m pregnant.” She said it with a sad smile

“What? Are you sure?”

“I’m pregnant. Seven weeks. Yes, I’m sure. I haven’t had a scan, of course, but I’m sure.”

“Mara! How could you let this happen?” he demanded.

She narrowed her eyes, anger taking over as he got too close to the truth. “Do not blame me. We both had to take the suppressant.”

William winced like he always did when she showed her anger. “Then we definitely can’t go. The trip is dangerous. We could die. The…the baby almost definitely will.” He ran a hand through his hair. His breath was getting erratic as he began to panic. She felt just the opposite.  Each passing second made her calmer.

 

Standing up, she crossed over to William and knelt next to his chair. She took his hand in hers, wincing at the sweat. “William, why did we have to fight to be together?”

He answered in a monotone. “Because we can both use the aether. Together we become a threat to the—“

“—to the control the council has over this world.” She gave a bitter chuckle. “The only reason we’re allowed is because my mother is on the counsel. What did we have to swear to be together?”

He locked eyes with her, the terror plain. “To never have children.”

Mara nodded. “Exactly, to never have children. If they find out about it, they will lock us up. We would never see each other again.” She stood and placed her hand over her still flat belly. “I love you. I love this baby already.”

He sighed and wrapped his hands around her, placing the side of his head against her stomach. “I can’t lose you.”

“Then we need to go as soon as possible.”

William nodded. “The other world is vastly different. It’s a savage place. We’ll only have what we can carry with us.”

“It’s safer than here.” She made sure her voice was tender and she lightly caressed his face. They stayed that way for a while. She could feel his resistance crumbling like she knew it would.

“We’ll bring some aether with us,” he whispered.

Mara smiled, but her victory felt bitter. This was her world. It was horrible and chaotic, but it was home. She could never come back.  
But once they were over there, she would be in control. There would be no counsel to tell her what to do or how to act.

Once again, Mara caressed the side of William’s face, turning her thoughts to who she could trust to help her.

Them. Help them.

 

 

“Is this all right?” William asked.

Mara surveyed the field and nodded. Her companions stood off to the edge of the clearing, and Mara took a small box out of her pack.

She opened it and took out a medium sized ball of aether. Manipulating it with her hands, she could feel the power flowing through her, consuming her.  She knelt on the ground and began to trace a pattern. She was careful, keeping her movements slow so that each line was perfect. Any slight irregularity and who knew what could happen.

The center was the most important, so she made sure that this was done first. She'd just finished the last line when she felt the first tremor shake her body. Pausing, she took a deep breath, determined to not ruin the ritual

“Mara?” William called. Jennifer shushed him, and Mara was grateful. She couldn’t speak, couldn’t do anything but work. There was so much power in her, and it needed to get out.

 

Now she began the next part of the design: lines, curves, and more lines…these a little thicker than before. Four times she did this, ignoring the shaking, the aches, and the knife sharp pain that began piercing her abdomen.

For over an hour she worked, and the power flowed from her into the lines, into the soil, into the fabric of their reality and beyond. When she was finished, she felt empty at the loss.

Stepping away, she surveyed her work.

It was a circular maze with four human shapes evenly spaced around it.

 

“It’s done,” Mara stated, placing the box back in her pack. As the others approached with obvious unease, she gave them instructions. “After everyone is in place, the portal will open. When I say your name, jump in. Do not hesitate, and do not step on any line.”

Jennifer and Dave took their places without a word, holding their packs and bags tight.

“Are you all right, Mara?” William asked, hanging back.

“I’m fine,” she told him, knowing that in the dim moonlight he could not see her shaking, or that she was covered in sweat. “Go.”

 

William took his spot, and a moment later Mara took hers. The minute her feet were in place, the center of the circle glowed. Lines of light shot out, turning the black outline of the maze silver. The center of the maze widened until they could see swirling clouds.

“What is that?” Dave cried.

“The Void. It lies between the worlds,” Mara explained. “Now, jump.”

He looked like he was going to change his mind, but trees crashed in the distance. His expression changed to one of terror, and, with no further protests, he jumped in.

“Jennifer.” Her friend needed no convincing, and Jennifer ran to the portal “William.”

“No, you first,” he protested.

“I made the portal. It’s tied to me and will close the minute I go through.”

William stared at her, his expression grim. Finally, he jumped.

The sound of falling trees grew louder as something moved towards her, drawn to the power emanating from the portal. Mara clutched her packs and ran to the center. A long, pale grey, clawed arm emerged from the trees right as she jumped in.

 

The Void was surprisingly cold. It felt as if billions of tiny icicles were piercing her skin. Below her, she saw a bright white light. She barely had time to register it, because the next thing she knew she was passing through it, flying through the air, and hitting wet, hard ground. She finally let out a scream, and then everything went black.

 

 

When she regained consciousness, the first thing she was aware of was pain. Her whole body ached as though she had been beaten. She shifted slightly and realized that she was underneath a pile of blankets.

“Don’t move,” William ordered. He appeared by her side and placed something firm behind her so that she could sit up.

They were in a tent. It was dark, and through the entrance she could see a fire and hear voices.

“We made it?”

William nodded and held up a cup to her mouth. She tried to grab it, but she found that she could barely lift her arms. After taking a swallow of water, she sighed. “What happened?”

“You channeled too much power. Your body couldn’t handle it.” He paused. “You lost the baby.”

That explained the dull ache in her abdomen and why she was wearing different clothes. Mara knew that she should feel stunned or, at the very least, sad. But she felt…nothing. A strange kind of numbness had settled over her. This was not something that William could know.

“I’m sorry,” she told him, knowing that was what he wanted to hear.

He stared at her in a way he never had before. His face seemed devoid of emotion. “You can stop pretending.”

“Excuse me?”

“I know that you tampered with my suppressant. I know that you stopped using yours.” He set the cup down and picked up a bar of food.

She opened her mouth to protest. It was all true, but he was not supposed to know that. How had he figured it out?

“I’m talking now. I know that you got pregnant on purpose so that I would come here.”

They stared each other in the eyes for a long moment. He looked like he was daring her to deny it.

She should have been more careful. Two weeks after tampering with the suppressants she had initiated sex more than usual. She should have realized that he would suspect something was going on, although there had been no complaint.

“If you knew, then why didn’t you say anything?” she demanded, inwardly seething. He had lied to her.

“You were changing. You were becoming like one of them.” He leaned in close. “Now you’re out of their influence. Now, things are going to change. You can return to the Mara I married.” He gently kissed her temple, and she pulled away.

“You sacrificed our baby.” She knew that it was the worst thing she could say, and she needed him to hurt. She needed him to pay for manipulating her.

His hand tightened on the bar, crumbling it. “I’m the one who found you. I watched as your clothes became stained with blood.” He broke off, and there were tears in his eyes.

“You’re the one who didn’t have the nerve to admit you wanted out. You’re weak.” she spat at him, wanting to throw something but not having the strength.

“I’m far from weak. You just saw what you wanted to.” He left the tent and Mara hated the tears that fell down her face. She hated that despite it all, she still loved him.


	2. Chapter 2

By the next day, Mara had recovered enough to make her way outside. She hated that she had to pause and lean against the tent for support, but she had little energy. As she gathered her strength, she took the moment to look around at where she was.

Trees surrounded their campsite. A few feet away she saw a small animal dart into a bush, scaring some birds who flew overhead. The air was clean and pure, and she could hear the sound of a steam or river in the distance.

It was completely different from home.

No. This was her home now.

 

“Mara!” Jennifer hurried up to her and gently grabbed her arm. “Why didn’t you call for help?”

Mara shrugged her off and slowly made her way to the fire. “I’m fine.” She carefully sat down, trying not to wince. William wordlessly handed her a bowl of food. It was boiled grains and had no taste.

“We made it,” Dave stated. He stared into the fire and still seemed unbelieving. “We actually made it. Thank you.”

Mara nodded and took another bite of breakfast.

“I’ve never seen anything like it. I had no idea that you were that powerful. I mean, of course you are, being Charlotte’s daughter and all. But that much pow—“ Jennifer rambled.

“Jennifer,” Dave admonished.

“Sorry. Are you really okay, though?”  ” Jennifer quieted and looked down. Mara gave her a small, reassuring smile.

“I’m fine,” Mara repeated, more firmly than before. Jennifer looked doubtful.

 

“What are we going to do now?” William asked. “We had no real plan except to get here.” His tone held a hint of disapproval, and Mara almost rolled her eyes. He wanted to be here just as badly as she did.

“We found a nearby river last night. We should stay in this area. We don’t know where the next fresh water source is,” Dave said.

“We should probably build a new shelter.” Jennifer suggested. “The tents are okay for now, but what about when winter sets in?”

“Do they even have winter here?” William asked.

“That’s the point. We don’t know,” Mara answered, sounding sharper than she intended.

They fell into awkward silence, and Mara resisted apologizing.

“For food we can hunt. Fish also,” Dave broke the silence. The others just nodded. “I think that tomorrow we should explore and find where well build our house.”

William looked at Mara, and she could tell that he thought she was in no condition to explore anything. She met his gaze, defiant. No matter how much she hurt or how weak she was, she would walk miles if she had to, just to prove him wrong. She would never show weakness to him again. He was the first to look away.

“It sounds like a good plan,” Jennifer agreed. William nodded in agreement after another glance at Mara.

Mara set down her empty bowl with an audible thud.  Jennifer and Dave looked at each other, communicating silently.

 

 

Jennifer put some of the water from the big pot into a bucket. “Come on.” She helped Mara to stand.

“William.” Dave gestured for William to join him. They headed off into the woods.

Jennifer assisted Mara behind some tarps that had been set up to make a small room. “I thought you might like to bathe.” Mara watched as Jennifer handed her a cloth and some soap. “Sorry, there is no shower.”

Turning her back, Mara pulled off her shirt while Jennifer stepped around the tarp to give her some privacy.

“You’re staying?”

“You might need more help.”

Mara gave a bitter laugh. “Isn’t that going a little past the parameters of the friendship?”

“Who do you think cleaned you up?” Jennifer answered softly.

She didn’t reply. Stripping completely, she began to bathe.

“So what’s going on with you and William?” Jennifer asked after a few minutes.

“He knows that I got pregnant on purpose.”

Jennifer snorted. “He didn’t realize it earlier?”

“You knew?” She'd thought she had been convincing when she had pretended to be shocked and scared.

“Yes.” She began to go through Mara’s bag for clothes. “You have always been careful about everything in your life. You’ve never done anything by accident. Well, except for that time that we were teenagers and you—“

“We agreed to never speak of that again.”

Jennifer laughed. “So, why is he acting that way?”

“He thinks that I sacrificed the baby to get here.”

“Did you?” Jennifer handed her a towel.

“Jennifer!”

“I’m not trying to insult you. We’ve been best friends since we were born. I’m just saying that you can get very focused about what you want. And…you’ve gotten very cold these last few months.”

Mara clutched to towel to her body as though it would protect her from her friend’s words. “And you think that I have become so desperate that I would kill?”

Jennifer handed her a shirt and some pants. “I…no. Of course not.”

“You think I’m capable though.”

Jennifer sighed. “No. You’re not her. I’m sorry.”

Mara took the clothes. “It wouldn’t have happened to her though.” She said it so quietly that Jennifer didn’t hear. That was good. She didn’t want anybody to know the truth.

 

 

The men didn’t return until it was nearly dark. Mara had been getting worried about them, though she didn’t let it show. While this planet did not seem to have the same deadly creatures in the forest, there could still be dangers.

“We think we found a place to permanently settle,” William reported, gratefully taking the dinner Jennifer handed him.

“I thought that we were going to do that tomorrow,” Mara said.

“We were out and just came across it.”

“It’s near fresh water. Uphill, so there is no worrying about flooding,” Dave added.

“There are a lot of trees to build from.”

“Does anybody know how to build a house or anything house-like?” Mara asked.

“Father does,” Jennifer told them.

“Jenny…” Dave sighed. “I studied ancient images of buildings.”

“You know more than the rest of us,” William added.

“We brought building tools. A saw, an axe, sandpaper. Basics, but better than nothing,” Jennifer reminded Dave.

“We should move to the location tomorrow and start building as soon as we can,” Dave finally agreed.

 

Mara was feeling exhausted, so she left the others around the fire and went into her tent. After changing, she climbed into her sleeping bag, glad that nobody could see her relief.

As she lay in the darkness, her arm pillowed under her head, she couldn’t help the little bit of doubt that crept into her head.

Had this been a mistake? Were they in over their heads? None of this was turning out like she had planned.

Sliding her hand down to her abdomen, she rested it there.

 


	3. Chapter 3

Most of the next morning was spent packing. Mara tried to help as much as she could, feeling guilty that she had been unconscious when they arrived.

She found the walk to the new site peaceful. The forest wasn’t too dense, and they could see animals watching them. The air was warm and unregulated. Being outside was something that she could grow to enjoy.

“We should catch something for dinner,” Dave advised as they saw something scurry into a nearby bush.

“After we settle,” William agreed.

Mara shared a glance with Jennifer. They wondered just how likely it was that something would be caught, and Mara mentally made a survey of their supplies.

 

The location the men had chosen was perfect. The clearing was small, but once they cleared trees it would be a good size.

“Nice,” Jennifer complimented. “Welcome home,”

Mara set down her bag. “It has potential.”

William glanced at her, his expression unreadable, and quickly away. “Let’s get set up.”

“I can share with Jennifer,” Mara told William, picking up the tent.

Jennifer raised her eyebrows but otherwise pretended that she hadn’t heard.

“It’s fine,” William told her, taking the tent out of her arms and starting to assemble it.

 

That evening Dave sat at the fire and began to sketch their new house. “Do we want one house or two?”

“I’m all right with one to begin with,” Mara answered. “Besides, it would be easier to build. We don’t know what the weather is like here. If needed, we could build another.”

“Okay.” Dave concentrated and made a rough sketch of a building. It was basically just a box, but everybody made sure to praise it. “It should work, and later we can add on if we want.” He sounded nervous.

“It will work, Father. We will make it work. Right?” Jennifer reassured. They nodded. “We’ll get started cutting trees first thing in the morning.”

“Actually, I was thinking of going fishing,” Mara interrupted.

“You’re not going to help? This is important.” William sounded irritated.

“So is eating. I think that standing or sitting on a river bank is probably better for me than chopping and lifting heavy objects,” Mara countered. She was feeling achy after the long walk and physical activity. “Jennifer, would you like to come with me tomorrow?”

“Sure.”

 

 

“Have you ever actually fished before?” Jennifer asked when they settled on the riverbank the next day. “Besides those history games in school, I mean.”

Mara laughed. “No.” She sat down on the grass, and pulled off her shoes. After rolling her pant legs up, she placed her feet in the water. It was extremely cold, but her feet soon grew used to it.

Next to her, Jennifer was attaching a net to a long stick. “Well, I’m not sure that this will work.”

“We have time to make it work.” Mara watched as small fish swam over to investigate her feet. “This water is so clean. It’s strange.”

“It’s perfect.” Jennifer handed Mara the net and began to make a new one.

“How do you remember to do this?”

“After I agreed to come here I began to research the archives. It helps to be a historian.”

Mara watched the water flowing through the net. Back home, she was being trained to be her mother’s replacement one day. Here, she was about as useful as the fish.

Actually, she was less.

 

“What is strange is being on a world where we are the only people,” Jennifer picked up their earlier conversation. They had been fishing for a while, but so far had not caught anything.

“I like it. It’s better than home. We—“

She was interrupted by a high scream. It sounded close by, human, and young.

 

Without thinking, Mara jumped up and took off running towards the scream.

“Are you crazy?” Jennifer cried, running after her.

“Probably,” Mara replied, pulling her knife out of its sheath on her belt.

The scream had faded, and now she heard crying and agitated voices. She stopped running and began to slowly approach them.

At the bottom of a cliff, three women were gathered around a child. The child was lying on the ground, not moving.

Jennifer gasped when she reached Mara’s side. They both crouched behind some plants.

 

Mara’s attention turned to one of the women. She was clutching the child and sobbing. The sight made an ache in Mara’s chest.

She stood and was walking towards the group before she even realized it. The women turned to her and raised their weapons. Mara stopped and held up her hands, dropping her knife.

“What are you doing here? You’re violating the treaty!” one of the women demanded.

“I’m sorry, I don’t know what you’re talking about,” Mara replied.

“You’re not from Haven?”

“No. We’re from far away. We’re new here.” Mara’s attention turned to the injured child. Through the whole conversation the child had been whimpering. “I can help her.”

“There is no help. We’re going to take her home,” the sobbing woman, obviously the mother, said.

“Mara, don’t,” Jennifer joined her, pulling on her arm.

“I have to,” Mara explained. “Please let me try. I really can help.”

The women looked at each other, and finally the mother nodded. Mara approached the child and knelt.

“Hello. I’m Mara. What’s her name?” Mara asked, pulling a small ball of aether out of her bag and activating it.

“Amu,” the mother answered, watching Mara’s every move.

“That’s a pretty name.” She placed one hand on the head wound, and one on the broken leg. Concentrating, she pictured the bones and flesh mending. After a few minutes, Amu stirred. Mara sat back, revealing the healings. Amu sat up and stared at Mara, stunned.

“What did you do? How?” the mother demanded, hugging her child.

“She’s all right now, but she should still rest.” Jennifer grabbed Mara’s arm and pulled her away. “I’m glad that I could help. Take care of her.” The women let her go without comment.

 

 

Jennifer was silent until they reached their camp. While they were gone, the men had cut down a tree. Dave was gesturing to it but stopped when he spotted them.

“What happened?” Dave demanded.

Mara sat down in front of the fire. “It’s nothing.”

“We’re not alone here. We came across a small group of women. There was an injured child, and Mara healed her.” Jennifer informed the men.

“It’s too soon. Are you all right?” Dave asked. Mara nodded.

“We’re not alone? That’s not what they told us. This world is supposed to be deserted,” William protested.

“They didn’t want us to come here, so they probably didn’t tell us a lot.”

“And you healed one of them?” William asked.

“Yes,” Mara replied

“Are you crazy? Mara, we don’t know how different they are!”

“I saved a child’s life.” Mara looked up from the fire.

William stared at her, his expression unreadable. After a moment he looked away, and Mara hugged herself, trying to understand why she had acted the way she did. William was right. They knew nothing about the inhabitants of this world. What if they were drastically different biologically? What if, instead of helping, she had caused more harm?


	4. Chapter 4

For the next few days the group stayed together. They worked on their new house, cutting and shaping the wood according to Dave’s directions.

 

“So, I was thinking that we could probably get the frame up today,” Dave was saying when William stood up straighter and reached for his weapon. Standing at the edge of the small clearing were several people. Among them Mara saw the mother and the child she had healed, and she motioned for William to lower his weapon.

“Hello.”

The adult male stepped forward, his weapon raised. “Are you the one who healed Amu?”

Mara nodded. “Yes. Is she all right?”

“No. She’s changed.”

Mara glanced back at the others and then back at the family. Clearing her throat, she spoke. “Changed how?”

“She can do things now. Heal, like you did.”

Mara suppressed a sigh. “I’m sorry.”

“You’re not from here or Haven. Who are you?” the man demanded, taking a step towards them.

Mara took an involuntary step back and kept her eyes on his weapon. “We’re from very far away. We just want to start a new life. I’m Mara. This is my friend Jennifer, her father Dave, and my husband William.

‘I was just trying to save your daughter. I didn’t know that she would get the gift. That’s very rare. It’s not bad. She…she can help others now.”

The man glanced back at the mother and his children. Amu was clutching her mother’s hand and looking scared. The man seemed disturbed but nodded. “I am Kitpu. This is my wife Misiku, my son Kiwnik, and my daughter Amu.” He surveyed their small camp. “If you will help her with this gift, we will help you learn to live here.”

Mara breathed a sigh of relief and nodded. “All right.”

They made arrangements for the family to return the next day. After they had left, Mara turned to her group. “I’m not sorry.”

“You don’t have to be. Saving that little girl was better than letting her die. Now we have help here,” Dave said.

“That’s not why I did it.”

“Why did you do it?” William asked.

“I honestly don’t know.”

 

 

After a sleepless night, Mara helped the others while preparing to meet her student. How would she start? She had never taught anyone before. In her world there were special teachers who taught the gifted. If the gifted happened to make it to school, that is. More often than not, the more powerful ones disappeared.

She was sanding the wood when Misiku, Kiwnik, and Amu arrived. Along with them were several others. Misiku studied what they were doing. “You’re making your home?”

Dave nodded and began to explain his design.

Misiku looked amused. “We’ll teach you how we do it.” Dave seemed intrigued. Misiku gestured to the others and they headed into the woods, Jennifer and William accompanying them.

 

Instead of teaching Amu, Mara found herself talking about Mara’s world. The others returned carrying long poles and other supplies. Misiku assigned Mara and Amu to soaking pieces of bark in warm water and then punching holes in them.

“Do a lot of people where you are from have abilities?”

Mara felt relief that Amu was finally getting onto the topic of her gift.

“No. Few people do, and even fewer have the healing ability. That’s why you must learn to control this.” Mara set a piece of bark aside. “How old are you?”

“Twelve.”

“Twelve?”

“Yes. I was born in the spring, so twelve springs. My brother is 19, and my mother is 37.”

Mara studied Misiku, taking in the wrinkles just beginning to form and the few streaks of grey in Misiku’s hair. Anxiety formed in Mara’s chest and she hid it.

She decided that Amu was too young to know about the other half of the gift. The ability to drain life from others would be scary for a child who had just learned about the ability.

“Then you are old enough to do my first assignment for you.” Amu nodded. “I want you to learn to stay calm. Getting angry or scared or nervous can make you lose control. I’m guessing that’s what happened when you healed?”

Amu glanced at her brother, who had been hovering near them the whole time. “I was angry at my brother. I ran off, found a bird with a broken wing, and brought it back to my mother. I knew it would die and when placed my hand on the wing, my hands grew hot. When I let go, the bird was healed.”

“It’s normal to only be able to do it under distress at first. That’s why you need to learn to be calm. All right?”

The child was lucky that she had not harmed the bird further.

“All right.”

 

They took the piles of bark over to the structure that everybody else had been working on. The long poles had been lashed together, forming a cone shaped frame, and other pieces had been added. Misiku smiled when she saw the bark. “You’re done. Good. Now you attach these on the outside like this.” She showed them how to sew them on with strips of roots, creating walls. “This will protect you from rain, wind, and snow.”

“Snow,” William repeated, giving Mara a look. Mara resisted pointing out that she was right.

Misiku looked at Mara. “She’ll control it now?”

Mara shook her head. “We’ve barely begun. It’s like learning to walk. This is going to take a while.” She bit her lip. “Especially if she’s busy finding out information about us instead of concentrating on the task.”

Misiku didn’t look ashamed at her deception. “Today was successful. We’ll be back in a few days. Thank you.” She gathered everybody together and they left.

 

“She definitely has it,.” Mara told the others while she rubbed her face. “I don’t know how, but she does.”

“Maybe we should leave. They might be tolerant now, but what about when she gains full control of the gift?” William suggested.

“There’s more. Amu is 12 and Kiwnik is 19. Misiku, however, is 37 years old.”  
It seemed that they were almost identical biologically to the people of this world. One difference, however, appeared to be aging. On Mara’s world, when a person reached around 30 years, the aging slowed down until they reached around 1,000 years.

Jennifer’s eyes widened. “Years? Well, maybe they won’t care.”

“Won’t care? Jennifer, they are already unnerved about the healing. What do you think they’re going to do when they find out we can live for a thousand years?”

“Maybe we should leave,” Dave reluctantly said.

“I gave that child a gift and changed her life forever. Abandoning her now would just be cruel and dangerous. What if she drains the life from someone because she’s angry? We don’t know how they punish people.” She shook her head. “You can leave if you want. I’ll understand.”

The others glanced at each other, and then returned to completing their new house.


	5. Chapter 5

The weeks passed and everybody settled into their new lives. Mara felt less anxiety about their future. It seemed as if they would actually be able to survive in this new world after all.

Now that the house was done, Dave set about making things for it. He used the wood from the tree they had cut to make a floor, privacy screens, and beds.

Jennifer was learning as much as she could about their new home. Once Kiwnik understood that Amu was not in any danger, he would sit nearby with Jennifer and talk. Jennifer seemed to enjoy learning about the animals of this world.

William was learning how to fish and hunt small animals. He was much better at fishing, but, after half a day of trying, he caught several squirrels.

Mara continued teaching Amu about the gift and the child was leaning quickly. Mara found that she liked teaching.

 

The only negative was her relationship with William. He was barely speaking to her, and when he did it was to correct her or disagree with what she was saying. Most of the time, he simply ignored her.

At the same time, he refused to leave. He slept next to her, ate near her, and she would catch him occasionally watching her. It was almost as though he was fighting his desire to improve their relationship with his desire to end it.

She wasn’t sure which outcome she wanted.

 

 

“Mara?” Jennifer called. She was sitting on her bed with her right foot propped up on a folded blanket.

“What happened?” Mara asked, confused. Jennifer had spent the morning sorting herbs.

“I was so stupid. I was sitting on my leg and when I got up my ankle twisted. Anyway, I was supposed to accompany William on a hunting trip today. Can you go in my place?”

Mara narrowed her eyes. “Jennifer, you’re the one who knows—“

“He just needs someone to help carry if he manages to get anything big. Think of it as a nice walk in the woods.” Jennifer gave her a big smile.

 

 

A walk in the woods sounded nice. Unfortunately, it turned out to be a three mile long, hot, sweaty walk with a man who could barely look at her. Worse, he was still not very good at hunting, and his traps and snares were empty.

Swearing to himself as he checked his last trap, he shook his head. “Well, this was a waste.” He stared at the ground, and Mara got the impression that he was not only angry but also embarrassed.

“Maybe we can try something else? Fishing, maybe?”

He tossed his snare onto the ground. “Yeah, we should.”

 

 

After another half an hour’s walk, they ended up at a pond. William sat down on the bank and picked up a long stick. He pulled a ball of string out of his pocket and attached to the end was a hook.

“You just carry that around?” she asked, amused.

“I’m always prepared,” he replied, placing a worm on the end and tossing the hook into the water.

She raised her eyebrows. “What else do you have?”

“What I need.”

Mara got the hint and wandered away, examining the plants growing around the pond. She should probably start learning which ones were edible. Maybe that would be her contribution besides teaching Amu. Edible plants, herbs, maybe even berries.

She spotted a beautiful red flower and, after making sure there were no thorns or bugs, picked it. It had a wonderful fragrance.

“William, look at this,” she showed him the flower. He frowned at it, then at her, and turned back to the water.

 

Mara sighed and waved at several insects buzzing around her face. They were probably drawn to the light sheen of sweat and dust from the walk. She moved several feet from William and bent down, splashing her face with the water. It felt wonderful, and after a moment of hesitation, she stripped and waded into the water.

“What are you doing?” William demanded.

“We’ve been walking or sitting in the sun all day. I’m cooling off.”

“You’re scaring the fish away!”

“They’ll be back.”

 

Turning from him, she dove under the water and surfaced when she could no longer hold a breath. The water soothed her, and, looking up, she could see the sky through the ring of trees. A few birds flew overhead, and she smiled.

“William, you should—“ she began, but he had pulled his line out of the water and was busy rewinding the string. Annoyed, she swam closer and splashed him. At his furious glare, she shrugged. “You seemed like you needed to cool off, too.” Water was dripping down his face and, as one drop fell off the end of his nose, she couldn’t help but laugh. “Apparently, it didn’t work.”

 

She swam away, wondering what had possessed her to do that. Part of it was frustration at him. If he would just make up his mind as to what he wanted, then she could know how to act.

After a few minutes she heard a splash as William joined her. “See? Isn’t this better than sitting in the sun?”

“Not if we want to eat tonight.”

“I’m sure you’ll think of something.” A suspicion formed in her mind, but she pushed it away. “For now, enjoy this. It’s so beautiful here.”

“Yeah it is,” he agreed, softly. He had a strange, almost confused expression.

Then a wave of water hit her in the face.

Coughing and wiping her hair from her eyes, she heard him chuckle.

“All right. We’re even now.” She paused. “But you know very well that I don’t like even.” Splashing him again, she took off swimming as fast as she could away from him.

 

She was close enough to shore that she could now put her feet down and the water was now just below her shoulders.  He grabbed her arm and turned her so that she faced him. She smirked and then laughed.

Gripping her arms, he leaned in and softly kissed her. It was hesitant, awkward, and caught her completely by surprise. She returned the kiss for a moment before ending it. He didn’t let go of her arms, and she didn’t try to move away.

Confusion filled her as she wondered just what had caused this change in him. Being playful was one thing. This was completely different. Slowly, she reached up and lightly brushed some water from his cheek. He didn’t pull away, and she realized just how much she had missed him. She loved him, so deeply that it scared her.

They kissed again, and this time there was no hesitation. His lips moved down her neck to her shoulder. He stopped, questioning.

She grinned and nodded.

 

“Why now?” Mara asked, lightly caressing the petals of the flower she had picked. They had dressed and were lying on some soft, dry grass nearby. Neither was ready to go back home.

“You’ve changed.”

“I’m still me.” She didn’t feel any different.

He pushed her still damp hair out of her face. “You’re the woman I love again.”

His words pulled her right back to their first night here. Her eyes filled with tears. “I didn’t sacrifice the baby. I thought that I was as strong as Charlotte.”

“I never said that you did.”

“You said that you know I got pregnant on purpose. You were right. I did.”

“But I never said that you killed it.” She tried to remember the conversation. He hadn’t said those words. “What you did was powerful. I don’t think that she could have done any better. You are strong. You’re special.”

“Only to you,” she scoffed.

“I guess I’ll have to keep saying it until you believe it.” He leaned down to kiss her but stopped and sighed. “It’s getting dark. We really should catch something for dinner. If we don’t, they’ll wonder what we were doing all this time.”

Mara laughed and sat up. “Jennifer probably already knows. I think we were set up.”

 

 

The fading light made travel through the forest difficult, so it was no surprise that they ended up lost. Emerging from the trees, they found themselves at the top of a grassy hill. One tree stood in the middle, and below them they could see a village.

“Did you know that was here?” Mara asked, since he spent more time exploring than she did.

“No.” He crossed his arms. “Well, it’s obvious that we went in the wrong direction. What do you want to do?”

“Haven,” she said, remembering the references from the Mi’kmaq. “That has to be Haven.”

“It might have to be our haven for the night.”

“No. Remember when we met Kitpu? He asked if we were from Haven. I think this is it.” If it was, they probably should not let anyone know that they were there. Kitpu and his family had been nothing but honest with them. If they didn’t like this place, there had to be a good reason. “Let’s go. We can find somewhere to—“

“Who’s there?” A male voice demanded. A shadow was coming towards them. William moved in front of Mara.

“My name’s William. I’m with my wife, Mara.”

The man reached them and lowered a sword. “You’re not a citizen. What are you doing out here?”

“We got lost,” Mara admitted.

“We were exploring and went too deep into the woods.” William sounded sheepish.

“You shouldn’t have done that. There’s nothing interesting in there except animals and the ungodly. Come. You can stay with us for the night.”

Mara hesitated. Something about this man unnerved her. “That’s…”

“Please. I insist.”

“Okay, Mister…”

“It’s Reverend. Reverend Richard Driscoll.”

 

They were led to a small, square house located near the center of the town. Richard escorted them inside where the smell of stew and bread made Mara’s stomach growl.

“Catherine! We have guests!” Richard called.

A woman emerged from one of the rooms and stopped short when she saw them. Mara was suddenly self-conscious. The woman quickly recovered and smiled. Richard introduced them and explained how they met.

“Well, you’re welcome here. Let’s get you cleaned up before we eat.”

 

Catherine led Mara into a bedroom and poured some water into a bowl. Mara washed her hands and face. As she was drying, Catherine pulled a dress out of a trunk. It was white and had a black bodice and wide black belt to go with it.

“There. I think this will fit. You seem to be the same size she was. It’ll probably be nice to get into some clean, feminine clothes.”

Mara raised her eyebrows. “It’s beautiful, but I can’t take that.”

“Yes, you can. Charity helps lead one to salvation. I insist.” Catherine gave her a tight smile.

These people sure insisted on a lot. Mara wondered what would happen if they firmly declined.

“Who is ‘she’? Who did this belong to?”

Catherine lost her smile. “A sinner. I’ll let you finish cleaning up now.”

 

Mara changed into the dress and had to admit that she looked good in it. It was extremely impractical but nice. Carefully folding her clothes, she set them in a pile on a shelf.

Richard had apparently made William clean up, too, because William now wore trousers, a white shirt, and a brown vest.

“There. Now things are the way that they should be. Come, join us.”

Mara sat next to William, who gripped her hand reassuringly under the table. Catherine set bowls of stew and a plate of bread on the table. Nodding, Richard folded his hands over his bowl. Catherine did the same and they closed their eyes. Richard spoke, giving thanks for the food. Only when he opened his eyes did they begin to eat.

“So, where are you from?” Richard asked.

“Far away from here,” William replied before tasting the stew.

“We’re looking to make a new home for ourselves,” Mara added.

“You could have chosen no better place than Haven," Richard said.

“We haven’t chosen it. That’s why we were exploring,” William explained.

“We have heard about Haven. Some other people—the Mi’kmaq—mentioned it.”

Richard threw down his spoon. “I told you the ungodly were nearby. They refuse to see the truth and when we try to help them…”

Catherine placed her hand on Richard’s arm. “It’s all right.” She set down her spoon. “As you can tell, it’s a difficult subject. We moved here to create a place for people who see the truth. A haven, if you will. We ran into some resistance. I don’t like to speak of unpleasant things, so I will just say that we now have a treaty. We are allowed our Haven and they have their place.”

“I see.” Mara took a bite of bread.

“Travesty.” Richard growled. He tore into a slice of bread. Viciously chewing, he swallowed. “You won’t behave the same way, will you? I can see that you are good people. Join us, tomorrow, as we worship.”

William took Mara’s hand. “We would love to.”

 

 

After fleeing the next morning before the Driscoll family woke up, they tried to retrace their steps. Before they reached the pond, two Mi’kmaq warriors surprised them. They were men William and Mara had not met before. They were not unfriendly, but they were not particularly welcoming, either. William was immediately disarmed of the sword that he had stolen from Richard’s house. Apparently Kitpu wished to speak to them.

 

Kitpu was by the pond watching a family of ducks when Mara and William were brought to him.

“Are you joining the Havenites?” he demanded.

“You know we met them?” Mara asked.

“Jipjawej saw you and suspected that you were lost. He would have helped you, but you went onto Haven land. Are you joining them?”

“What happened? We heard their side. Please tell us yours.”

Kitpu clenched his jaw but spoke. “When they came here they pretended to be friends and then betrayed us. They tried to change us. Everything we did was wrong. When we resisted…

'We know that not everybody is like us. We respect differences. We are a peaceful people. They are not! They expect everybody to be like them. They kill those who threaten that thinking. Because of them, we have to be on guard! Even our women have to carry weapons in case they do not honor the treaty. We do not trust outsiders for this reason!”

Mara nodded. “You trusted us.”

“You saved my daughter’s life. You’re the only one who can help her, but I will not allow you to do so if you—“

“We’re not,” William interrupted. “Once we found out what Reverend Driscoll is like, we escaped as soon as we could. We’re not like him. We respect you and are so thankful for all of your help. You’re our friends.”

“At least, we hope you are,” Mara added.

Kitpu was obviously struggling with his decision. Mara couldn’t blame him. After everything that had happened, it was amazing that he had trusted them at all. Finally, he nodded. “You are friends. Because you are, I will warn you. You are considered enemies of Haven. We will show you the boundaries where you should not cross. If you get caught, next time you will not be given clothes and weapons.”


	6. Chapter 6

For a month after their day at the pond things went well. The tension that had made everybody’s life awkward was gone.

Mara followed through with her idea of learning about edible and medicinal plants. Misiku decided to teach Mara herself, and Mara found out that she had talent for remembering.

Then Mara got sick.

For the one hundred  years that Mara had been alive, she had never been ill. Where she came from, people were inoculated for all possible contagions as soon as they were born.  This was a new world, however, and it seemed that her immunity was useless.

What made it worse, in Mara’s opinion, was the fact that she was the only one who became ill. At first she had hoped that it would pass after several days, but it didn’t. Mara was starting to panic that it was something she would not recover from. Yet, when Misiku saw her, the woman had just smiled and told Mara that she would be fine.  Mara hadn’t believed her, but two months after she first fell ill she felt better.

 

When Misiku and Amu arrived for Mara’s lesson, Misiku smiled at Mara’s bowl of lunch. “See? It’s passed.”

“I hope so.” Mara placed her plate in the wash bin and pulled chairs up to the outdoor table.

“It has. The rest of it should go smoothly now.” Misiku started pulling leaves and berries out of a box, lining them up on the table.

Mara studied the items and tried to remember their names. “The rest of what?”

“Your pregnancy, of course.”

Mara gave a laugh. “I’m not pregnant.”

“Yes, you are.” Misiku sounded confident as she picked up a berry, examined it, and tossed it into the bushes. “The reason you were sick? The baby was getting settled in its new home. Now that it’s comfortable, the sickness goes away.”

Mara shook her head. “It’s not possible.”

Behind her, she heard the clank of the wash bin being set down, and Jennifer snorted. “You know it is. You and William…” Jennifer glanced at Amu. “Love each other very much.”

Amu giggled. “Babies are a good thing. You’re giving life.”

Mara saw that they were serious. She stood up and backed away from the table in an attempt to get away from their claims. They were wrong. They had to be. She couldn’t give life. It would only die. “No.” Yet, deep down she knew that what they were saying was correct.

“Mara, it’s okay.”

Her friend didn’t seem to be surprised by any of this. “Did you know?”

Jennifer glanced at Dave, who looked up from his latest project. “We both did.”

Misiku came around the table, concerned. “It’s normal to be scared with the first one.”

“It’s not my first,” Mara whispered, looking Misiku in the eyes. That was probably why she hadn’t realized the truth. She hadn’t got this far before. Oh, she knew the common symptoms of pregnancy but hadn’t thought to apply them to herself.

“I see.” Misiku sighed. “This one seems to want to stay, though.”

Mara nodded and licked her dry lips. She took deep breaths and tried to calm down. It didn't work.

 

William walked into the camp carrying several dead geese. He stopped when he saw them. “What’s wrong?”

Misiku grinned. “Nothing. Come on, Amu. We’ll return in a few days.”

Mara nodded goodbye but didn’t look away from William. She began to sweat and shake. Jennifer walked over and placed her hand on Mara’s shoulder.

“William,” Mara began. A surge of fear made her stop. Jennifer squeezed Mara’s shoulder and she was grateful for the support. “I think I’m pregnant.”

She held her breath as he dropped the animals and took a few steps towards her. “What?”

Memories of the first time she had told him she was pregnant surfaced, but she pushed them away. “It was an accident this time. I promise, it was an accident.”

“Of course.”

She stood and made her way to him on shaky legs. “You’re upset.”

“No.” He slowly reached out and placed his hand on her abdomen. “Please don’t use your ability.”

“I won’t. I promise.”

He wrapped his arms around her and hugged her tightly.

There was the sound of breaking wood. Dave was pulling apart his latest project. He grinned at everyone’s confused expressions. “Baby’s going to need a place to sleep, right?”

 

 

Mara knew that she had to stop Amu’s lessons. The child had progressed to healing small injuries, and Mara needed to be ready to use her ability in case something went wrong. Amu didn’t mind. She even seemed happy about it. Mara hoped this meant Amu was happy about the baby and wasn't a reflection of her teaching abilities.

Other than that, she didn’t expect any major changes in her life until the baby was born. She knew that her body would change but not her life.

She was wrong.

William knew better than to forbid her from doing anything, but he expressed extreme displeasure if she strayed more than a mile from the camp or if she lifted something heavy or  if she forgot to eat. Worse, he barely touched her anymore. He treated her as though she were made of glass.

If there was one thing that Mara wasn’t, it was fragile.

 

 

Towards the end of her pregnancy it snowed. Lightly at first, but then it accumulated until it was more than waist high. Mara loved the snow. As a child she had spent a lot of her winters playing in it. Well, until her mother found out and forbid it. Apparently, playing in the snow was inappropriate behavior for a future council member.

 

She quietly slipped out of bed and out of the house. The sun had just risen, and the light reflecting off of the snow made everything sparkle. It was almost completely silent except for the soft thud of snow falling off of the trees.

The others had cleared a wide circle of snow from their outdoor living space. Some of it had filled in in the night, but not so much that she couldn’t make her way to a chair to sit down.

She picked up a handful of snow and began to shape it into a ball. “We’ll play in the snow as much as you want. We’ll make snowballs and snow people. Maybe even a—“

“What are you doing out here?” William asked in a sleepy voice. He placed his cloak over the cloak she was already wearing.

She contemplated throwing her snowball at him. “We are enjoying a quiet moment in the snow. What are you doing, checking up on me?” She hadn’t meant to sound harsh, but he winced. “William, I’m not going to do anything dangerous.”

“I’ve been a little too protective, haven’t I?”

“Telling me you don’t like it when I add wood to the fire? Maybe just a little.” She took his hand and placed it on her belly. “Feel that kick? He’s all right.”

“She is.” William smiled. The sex of the baby had been a continued debate between them. “I’m sorry.”

She looked him in the eyes. “You do realize you could never actually prevent me from doing anything I wanted to do?”

“I’m well aware of that.” He leaned down and kissed her. He was fine with it too, which is why their relationship worked so well.

“Good.” She paused. “It’s nice that you’re protective though. You’ll be a good father. Now,” she stood and placed her hands on her lower back, stretching. “You can make up for annoying me.”

“How?”

“Back rub, and, if I’m not back asleep by then, feet.”

He helped her to stand and they made their way back inside.

 

 

She was in more pain than she had ever thought possible. The pain came in waves. Sometimes it was intense, sometimes it was a little less, but it was always there.

“You have to walk. They said walking will help,” Jennifer urged, placing her hand on Mara’s lower back and leading her on a trip around the house. Her friend had taken a crash course in delivering babies from some of the Mi’kmaq women.

Mara batted at Jennifer’s hands and leaned against one of the privacy screens. Her hair and thin nightgown were soaked in sweat. She felt like both crying and yelling. She chose yelling.

“Well, it doesn’t. Nothing helps. Nothing.”

“I think—“

“I don’t care what you think!” she screamed and then shook her head. “I’m sorry. I don’t know what’s wrong with me.” She hissed and clawed at the wood as another wave of pain gripped her body.

Jennifer lifted Mara’s hair and placed a cool cloth on the back of Mara’s neck. “You’re having a baby.” Jennifer moved behind her and began to massage Mara’s back. “I will take no offence to anything you say today. Tomorrow, I will. I might even yell back.”

The massage was helping to relax her a little. “No you won’t. You never yell.” She swallowed. “Where’s William?”

Her husband and Dave had been invited to go on a moose hunt. None of them had thought this would happen today, so Mara had encouraged them to go.

“He’ll be back in time,” Jennifer replied.

Mara nodded and tried to relax.

 

She was dying. Only someone who was dying could feel this way.

“Mara!” William cried, running into the shelter. He hurried up to where she was kneeling on the floor fighting the urge to scream.

“Where were you?” She meant to yell but it came out as a whine. Even the way she said things was out of her control. Everything was out of her control, and she hated it.

“We got a moose,” he told her happily.

“That’s great! How—“ Jennifer started.

“I need to push!” Mara interrupted, reaching for the hand that William was holding out.

“Oh! Okay! This is good. This means it’s almost over!” Jennifer gave Mara a wide grin.

Mara had a hard time believing it.

 

It was tiny and covered in goo and screaming and perfect.

Mara was leaning against William, exhausted, but the minute she heard that high-pitched wail her mind was on the baby Jennifer was wiping off and examining.

“Is it okay?” she asked.

Jennifer wrapped it in a cloth and gently placed it in Mara’s arms. “She’s fine.”

“She’s so tiny,” William whispered, sounding amazed.

“She looks like you,” Mara told him. The baby had dark brown hair. She probably had blue eyes, but they were currently squeezed tight.

“She looks like you,” William countered. Mara cradled the baby and awkwardly rocked it, making shushing sounds. “She needs a name.”

“Can we name her after your mother?” William’s mother had been imprisoned for protesting one of the counsel’s new laws. William hadn’t seen her in 60 years but claimed that she was a wonderful woman. “Cecily?”

“She would love that.”

Mara leaned down and kissed the top of their daughter’s head.  “Cecily it is then.”


	7. Chapter 7

Mara was gathering herbs to dry for tea when she found them.

Crossing her arms, she took deep breaths and cleared her throat. “Cecily.”

Her twenty-two year old daughter jumped out of the embrace she had been in and looked at her mother defiantly. The man she'd been kissing pressed his back against the tree as though he feared for his life.

“Your name?” she asked the man, smiling pleasantly as her daughter adjusted her clothing and ran her hand through her messy brown hair.

“Elias, ma’am.”

“Elias. I’ve not met you before. Where are you from?”

“The village of Haven, ma’am.”

“You should probably go back there.” Elias took off running so fast that Mara almost laughed. Cecily made a sound of protest, and Mara narrowed her eyes at her daughter. “Home. Now.”

 

Cecily stormed into their house, startling William. He rubbed his forehead tiredly when Cecily sat down on a chair, wiping tears from her face.

“What now?” He asked tiredly. Mara and Cecily had been having disagreements more and more lately, and William was often cast as the peacemaker.

Mara set her bag on the floor. “I found her in the woods with a man. Elias from Haven.”

William dropped the knife he had been holding. “What?”

“Elias. We’re in love,” Cecily claimed.

“How long have you been seeing this man?”

Considering they had been locked in a passionate embrace and Elias’s hands had been wandering over her daughter’s body, Mara suspected for a while.

“Since Autumn,” Cecily admitted. It was now the beginning of Summer.

“Cecily…” Mara closed her eyes.

“I’m a grown woman!”

The hold Mara had on her temper snapped. “Then act like one. We have told you what they’re like. Amu has told you what they’re like. You are putting yourself in danger. And for what? Love? Ridiculous.”

Mara froze as she remembered her mother saying almost the exact same thing when Mara had told her about William. Turning her back, she waved her hand at her husband.

William cleared his throat. “What did he say when you told him you can heal? Or that you will live for a thousand years?”

“I haven’t told him. He won’t care,” Cecily protested.

Mara shook her head and ran her hand over her face.

“Cecily, I know what it’s like to love someone you shouldn’t be with.”

“You and mother got be to together!”

“We had to leave our home world to do it. Cecily, they will never accept you. They will kill you. I’m sorry.”

Mara turned back around to see her daughter nodding sadly. “I understand.”

William and Mara locked eyes. Cecily had given in too easily. This was far from over.

 

Cecily stayed in her sleeping space the rest of the day. Mara knew that attempting to talk to her would lead to another fight, but when her daughter didn’t emerge for dinner, she knew that she had to make some attempt at communication.

She knocked on the screen, calling her daughter’s name. After trying several times with no answer, she moved the screen aside and found that Cecily was gone.  
Along with her blankets, her clothing, and anything else she might need.

“William,” she called. “William!” When he came rushing into the house, she gestured to the missing items.

“We have to go and get her.”

“She won’t be there,” Mara whispered.

William picked up his sword. “How do you know?”

“She knows why we came here. We just reminded her. I know her, William. She’s…”

“She’s just like you.” Realization dawned on his face.

“Exactly. She’s not in Haven. By now she’s long gone.”

She took a breath to try and fight the pain that was building in her chest. She had known that Cecily would eventually leave. Children were meant to. She knew that she would need to let go, but not like this.

William wrapped his arms around her, and she could feel him shaking. She tried to fight the tears but couldn’t. Gripping him tightly, she let them fall.

 

Dave and Jennifer were devastated to find out that Cecily had run off. Jennifer’s husband, Jipjawej, gathered a group of men to search, but once they found that Cecily had moved onto Haven’s land, they could go no further.

 

 

The next day Mara threw herself into her work. She not only prepared herbs to dry for Dave’s allergy tea, she made enough teas, ointments, and powders to keep them healthy for the next six months.

William disappeared into the forest and didn’t return until sunset. He declined dinner and sat staring into the fire. Mara tried to think of something to say, but, really, there was nothing. That night was another sleepless one.

 

 

They were startled the next morning by Jennifer, Dave, and an unknown man. The man stepped forward. “Are you Cecily’s parents?”

“We are. Who are you?” Mara replied.

“My name is Giles Crocker, ma’am. I’m Elias’s best friend. He sent me because…”

Mara clenched her jaw and called on all everything her mother had taught her about maintaining her composure. “What happened?”

“Cecily and Elias were planning on leaving, but Elias wanted to introduce her to his parents. He told them that she was from a village far away. They believed her. Last night Elias’s little brother broke his arm. Cecily…she healed it.” Elias hesitated and looked around. “She was arrested by Reverend Driscoll. He wanted to put her on trial for being a witch. Normally trials take several days, but there is a man visiting. The Revered Flagg is an expert witch hunter. He said that there is no need for a trial. The evidence…” Giles trailed off. “Driscoll agreed with him and…they’re going to hang her today.”

William stormed into the house and returned a moment later with his sword. Pushing past the others, he headed in the direction of Haven. Mara hurried to join him, Jennifer, Dave, and Giles following.

“What are you going to do?” Mara demanded when she caught up. “What’s your plan?”

“I’m going to go down there and do what I have to in order to get her back,” William replied, not slowing down.

“You’re prepared to kill?”

“To save her, yes. Aren’t you?”

“Just making sure that we’re together on this.”

 

 

They reached the hill overlooking Haven. Below, they could see the villagers gathered together in the central square. They were too far away to see what was happening, but when Giles reached them, he moaned. “No…They’ve started.” He looked at Mara and William with tears in his eyes. “I’m so sorry.”

Mara shook her head. “No. They might not have done it yet. Come on.”

She took off running, pulling her knife out of its sheath. It couldn’t be too late. The closer she got to the village, the more she was able to see what was happening. Everybody was standing in front of some kind of platform. Two figures were standing on it. She watched as one of the figures kicked a barrel out from under the other and—

No. There had to be some kind of mistake. She didn’t just see—

“Cecily,” she whispered. She increased her speed, racing towards the village.

The figure that had kicked the barrel left the platform. A few moments later, there was a yellow flash and a fire started. Mara stopped running and stared in confusion.

“No. This is wrong. This isn’t us!” Giles claimed, shaking his head. “This isn’t us.”

William turned on him. “Get out of here. Now.”

 

Mara felt arms wrap around her. “We…we need to find her. There’s fire and she could get hurt,” Mara claimed, her voice small.

“No, honey. No.” Jennifer turned her around. Tears were streaming down Jennifer’s face. “It’s too late.”

Mara shook her head, refusing to believe her, and tried to pull out of her grasp. “It’s not. Let me go. I need to get her!”

“Mara—“ Jennifer struggled, and Mara slapped her. Jennifer took a step back and placed her hand over her mouth, her cheek bright red. Next to her, Dave was staring off into the distance, shaking his head.

Mara’s breath came in gasps as overwhelming pain engulfed her. “She’s my baby. She needs me.”

Jennifer shook her head and turned away, her shoulders shaking with sobs.

Dave stepped forward and placed his hands on Mara’s arms. He looked her in the eyes and her denial slipped away. “No. Please no.” It came out as a whine. “Not my baby.”

“I’m sorry, but we should get out of here, okay? If they find us here, they might do the same thing to us.”

With Dave on one side of her and Jennifer on the other, she let them lead her back up the hill. She looked back and saw that William was behind them, his face blank, his sword clutched in one hand. He met her eyes, and she looked away.

 

 

When Mara got back home, she immediately crawled onto her bed, pulling the blanket up over her head. The others talked softly amongst themselves, and she could hear crying. She stayed there for several days, only getting up to use the bathroom. She declined food and drank when forced to. She embraced the pain, the feeling of failure, the sense that a part of her had died.

 

After three days of this, Mara’s mind retreated from the pain to someplace darker, deeper. It was a place where she could think clearly. She knew what she had to do.

“They killed her,” she said, coming around the screen. The others looked at her, startled. She wondered how long they had been sitting in silence. Through the doorway she could see that it was dark outside. “She tried to help them, and they killed her for it.”

The others just stared at her.

Mara opened up her bag and pulled out a ball of aether examining it.

“Mara, what are you doing?” Jennifer asked.

“They’re pathetic, scared little creatures who are afraid of anyone different,” she spat.

“What are you going to do with that?” Dave asked.

“What do you think they would do if one of them was suddenly different? Or all of them?”

Jennifer shook her head. “No. I understand that you’re upset, but what you’re suggesting is crazy.”

“Why? We know that it works on them.” She manipulated the ball until it covered her hand, and then returned it to its original state.

“I won’t have any part of it.”

“Me either,” Dave agreed.

“You don’t have to. You can’t use this anyway. All you need to do is stay out of my way.” The threat was clear, and Jennifer looked shocked. Abruptly, she turned and left the house. Dave seemed sad as he followed her.

“Are you still with me?” Mara asked, not looking at William. She hadn’t heard him speak in days. She had been so focused on her own pain that she didn’t know how he was.

“Definitely,” he replied.


	8. Chapter 8

For the next week, they studied the citizens of Haven. They made note of their habits, their personalities, their likes and dislikes. After the murder, the mood in the village was cheerful. They had done their duty and gotten rid of the witch. There was nothing left to worry about.

 

When they felt that they were ready, Mara and William waited until all the lights in the houses had gone out. Under the cover of darkness, they entered the village.

They chose three people to begin with. The Colemans, who they cursed with poisoning people when upset, the Magnussons, who they decided could change animals to human form, and the Keatons, who would burn people when they felt guilty.

That one she found particularly poetic.

It felt strange to do it. As she pressed her hand to their skin and transferred the aether inside, changed their cells, she found it vastly different from healing. It felt better and more powerful.

 

After that it was a matter of waiting to see if it had worked. They were beginning to lose hope when several people were burned alive with no apparent cause.

Now they could truly begin.

 

Their cursing grew more complex as they experimented. Some, they made complimentary, like cursing the Hansens with the inability to feel, and cursing the McKees with causing extreme pain to anybody who touched them.

Mara found that she was taking great pleasure in the pain and chaos that was erupting in Haven. Neighbor was turning against neighbor. Trust was gone. The cursed were beginning to be shunned. Reverend Driscoll began to preach that the curses were punishment for their sins.

For once he was right.

 

After a while, it became a game. Which one of them could come up with the worst curse? Mara felt her curse on the Clarks was the best. After all, nobody could look at them without seeing their worst fears. William felt cursing the Glendowers by making them need to be under the water was pretty bad.

She had to admit that he was right.

She even cursed the Crocker family. Giles did have the courage to come to them and tell them what was happening to Cecily, so she made it more of a gift. That family now had the ability to end the curses.

Of course it had to come with a hefty price. One member of the cursed family had to die.

 

While it was fun, none of it filled the hole that Cecily's murder had left in Mara. She decided that cursing the person most responsible would remedy it.

Flagg had fled once the curses started activating. That left Reverend Richard Driscoll.

 

Richard was waiting for them when they broke into his house. They were wearing the clothes he had given them. Mara had found them buried at the bottom of a chest that Dave made, and thought it was appropriate to wear them.

“I should have known that you were causing all of this. When you fled, I knew you were not what you seemed. I didn’t think you would hurt innocent people, though,” Richard said.

“Innocent? You killed my daughter,” William told him, pressing the tip of his sword against Richard’s neck.

“You mean the witch? She was evil. She got what she deserved.”

“So will you.” William glanced at Mara. “This one is all yours.”

Mara manipulated a ball of aether and contemplated Driscoll. What to do? What would be the worst thing for him? As the answer came, she smiled. “No. I have a better idea. You don’t get one of these. Your curse will be to remain the same and watch your precious Haven crumble around you.”

Through the window behind him, the sky lit up in the distance. It was a bright light exactly like the one been caused by their portal.

William looked at Mara, panicked, and lowered his sword. “We have to go.”

 

“We need to get our things and leave here,” William told her as they left the village.

“Why?”

“Because that was obviously a portal, Mara. They’re here. When they find out we’ve been curing people—“

“Don’t call them that! They’re not people!”

He waited until they were in the forest before he began again. “Mara, wait.”

“What?” she demanded, irritated. He was worried for no reason. Nothing would happen to them that they couldn’t handle. They were too powerful.

“If it really is them, then we have to get out of here.” He pulled her down onto a fallen log. “We broke the law by coming here, by having a child, and by manipulating others with this.” He held up her bag. “They’ll imprison us for sure. They might even kill us.”

“No, they won’t. You won’t let them,” she said, confident.

“I won’t. I’ll do anything to protect you.”

“Exactly.”

 

She took her bag from him. “Hold up your hand.” When she was ready, she stared at her blackened palm. Was this really what she wanted? It would be strange and dangerous, but it would make him feel better. She placed her hand against his and concentrated. She could feel herself changing, a connection forming. She became aware of William in a way that she wasn't before. “Now we have a connection. They can’t do anything without hurting both of us.”

There was no way that they would hurt Charlotte’s daughter.

He kissed her, and she kissed him back, but it felt empty.

 

When they got to their home, they found that the group from their world was already there. Two men were outside, and they could hear voices inside their house. One of them sounded very familiar.

William pulled her away and insisted on finding some place to hide for a while.

 

Jennifer lived just outside the main Mi’kmaq spring settlement. She didn’t seem surprised to see them.

“I saw the light. I know why you’re here, and the answer is no. You can’t stay here.”

“Jennifer, you know what will happen,” William protested.

“I do, but you have to answer for your crimes. We’ve heard about what you’ve been doing. It’s horrible.”

“What they did to Cecily was horrible. At least we haven’t killed,” Mara countered. Well, not directly. There had been deaths caused by the curses. “I thought we were best friends.”

Jennifer nodded sadly. “We were. That’s why I’m telling you that you’re considered to be just as bad as the Havenites. You’re no longer welcome on this land.”

Without another word, Jennifer went back inside her house, leaving Mara and William alone.

 


	9. Chapter 9

The forest was silent as Mara and William emerged in a clearing where a lone barn stood in the center. They hurried inside and sat on the ground. Mara rested her head against William’s shoulder and stared at the doors.

“The only thing that I regret,” she began, “is that we didn’t get to Flagg before he fled.” She smiled. “What I had saved for him would have been my masterpiece.”

“Our masterpiece,” William corrected, taking her hand and kissing it. “We got everybody else though.”

Flagg might have instigated the trial, but the rest of the village had done the dirty work.

And they had paid for it...and paid...and would continue to pay for generations to come.

 

Mara heard the sound of horses in the distance and, at that moment, knew there would be no escape. She and William had to face this.

“Listen, no matter what happens, I love you,” William told her, cupping her face in his hands. “I always will. You can’t allow yourself to feel it, but I know that deep down you love me too.” He gently kissed her lips.

The horses drew closer, and Mara felt a small stab of fear. “William.”

He clutched her hand and stood, pulling her with him. “I’m not going to let them find us hiding like a couple of mice.”

She gave his hand a squeeze, regaining her courage. “Let’s go.”

They emerged from the barn to find four people waiting for them in the middle of the field. One of them was a woman that she had hoped to never see again.

“Hello, Mother.”

 

Two men grabbed Mara and William and disarmed them. Charlotte dismounted from her horse and lightly brushed off her pants. “Mara. We were just in that charming little town. I must say, you have definitely changed from that weak child who wouldn’t even experiment on an animal.” Mara tried not to wince. “You used so much power that I was curious. I just had to come here and see what you did. Now, what did these people do to deserve such glorious treatment?”

“They don’t deserve to be called people. They’re pathetic creatures ruled by fear,” Mara spat. There was a flash of admiration in Charlotte’s eyes. She hated that the part of her that had always wanted her mother’s approval savored it. “They hung my daughter and burned the body.”

The admiration faded, and Charlotte crossed her arms. “So, you cursed these people because they killed your beloved daughter?”

“Yes.”

Charlotte sighed. “You obviously learned nothing I taught you. Over and over, I told you that love is for the weak, Mara! I hoped that my allowing you to come here and marry him would show you your mistake.”  
Mara was stunned. They hadn’t escaped after all. They had been allowed to leave as some sort of twisted test.  
“You still need to learn.” Gesturing to the man closest to her, Charlotte whispered in his ear and he went into the barn.

 

Next to Mara, William reached for her hand, and she let him take it. Charlotte took Mara’s knife from one of the guards. Mara was afraid but refused to give her mother the satisfaction of seeing a reaction. Charlotte nodded to another man who grabbed William and forced him to stand in front of Mara.

“You’re my daughter. You were my heir. I had such hope for you.” Strangely, Charlotte sounded truly regretful. “You need help. I have to help you. There is hope”

Mara felt an icy finger of dread travel down her spine as her mother held the knife out to her. “What are you going to do?”

“I want you to take this and plunge it into his chest,” Charlotte explained, her voice sounding more patient than Mara had ever heard.

Mara stared at the knife. “Or what? You’ll kill both of us?”

“Of course not. What kind of mother do you think I am?”

 

There was a bright white flash from the barn and the man emerged. “It’s ready, ma’am.”

“Excellent. Now, Mara, if you don’t kill the man you love, you will go in there. You’ll be trapped, only allowed to emerge after...” She looked at the man. “How long?”

“Twenty-seven years, ma’am,” he answered.

“Twenty-seven years. Then you’ll be forced to make the same choice.”

“And if I still refuse?”

“You probably will, but the woman whose personality will have taken over your body might not.” Seeing Mara’s expression of horror, Charlotte grinned. “Yes. Each time you emerge a different woman will be in control. You’ll be buried deep inside your mind. It’s a good thing we live such long lives. There will be plenty of time to learn.”

Mara gasped and stared into William’s eyes. He nodded at her, looking scared but confident. Slowly, a grin spread across her face. “There’s something you don’t know, Mother. William and I are literally connected. If I kill him, I'll be committing suicide.”

Charlotte’s superior expression fell. “What?”

Mara drug the knife across her palm, wincing at the pain. As the blood welled up, William hissed and held up his hand. The wounds were identical.

“The barn it is,” Charlotte decided.

“Wait, that’s not fair. I can’t kill him!” Mara protested.

“This isn’t supposed to be fair, Mara. This is a lesson.” Charlotte sounded both desperate and convinced. She nodded to one of the guards. “Next time the new you will be able to make the choice.”

 

Mara didn’t believe that her mother was serious until she saw one of the guards approaching her. She took off running. He was right behind her, but she knew this place better than he did.

She made it to the trees and was plunged into darkness. The thick branches cut off the little moonlight there was. Glancing back to see how far behind her pursuer was, she tripped on a root and fell to the ground. As she was struggling with her skirts, the man caught up with her. He grabbed her shoulders and pulled her up.

“No,” she screamed, and twisted, sinking her teeth into his arm. He swore and backhanded her, stunning her. She tasted blood. “Don’t do this! I can make you powerful. You can be more than just a guard. Let me go!”

He didn’t reply and pulled her from the trees back into the field. She screamed, kicked, twisted, did anything she could to try and get away. William was yelling, telling them to let her go.

“Mara, stop making a scene! I taught you better than this,” Charlotte admonished. When she saw the blood, she placed her hands on her hips. “I didn’t say that you could hurt her.”

“She bit me,” her captor muttered.

“William, don’t let them do this! Help me!” He had promised that he would protect her, but there was nothing he could do since he was struggling against the grip of the other two guards.

  
A part of her hoped for a reprieve. That at the last minute her mother would see just how wrong this was and call everything off. It wasn't until she reached the barn that she realized they were going to follow through.  
They were going to take her body away. They were going to lock her away and allow somebody else to use it.  
The man picked her up and she grabbed the doorjamb. She held on, but she was pulled away, leaving her fingers torn and bloody.

Distantly, she could hear William yelling, “I’ll rescue you. I promise, no matter what!”

She was shoved through the doors and hit the wall across from them as they slammed shut.

 

Standing, she pounded against the wall, hoping the doors would open, but they didn’t. Wiping the sweat and tears off her face, she sat down against the wall. Her hair had come down from its half bun, and her dress was torn and filthy. For a few moments, she concentrated on tidying herself. As her mind processed what had just happened and what this place meant, she started panicking. Her breath came in sharp gasps and her heart beat so hard she feared a heart attack. Closing her eyes, she willed herself to calm down. Counting to ten she opened them again.

She was in a hallway that, impossibly, stretched on forever in both directions. Picking a direction she started walking. Images began to show on the walls as behind her a barrier fell, preventing her from going back.

 

Twenty-seven years later, the same man that had shoved Mara inside opened the doors to the barn. Charity Fisher did not recognize him as she stepped out into the bright sunlight.


	10. Chapter 10

** Part Two: Audrey **

**“The world is not thy friend nor the world’s law.”**

**Romeo and Juliet (Act V, Sc. I)**

****

Nathan was dying, shot by an unknown person, and there was nothing that Audrey could do about it.  
He lay on the floor, pale and unmoving. Next to him crouched Moira, the woman who had tried to revive him by using her Trouble, and Jordan, his girlfriend. Gone was Jordan’s normally quiet demeanor, and she was sobbing and telling Nathan that she loved him.

Audrey had the urge to go to Nathan but knew it wasn’t her place. Duke was next to her, and she reached down and took his hand. He gently squeezed her fingers, and she turned her face into his shoulder. She couldn’t fight the tears anymore as a sense of failure overwhelmed her.

Nathan wasn’t coming back.

She had tried to activate Moira’s revival Trouble. Threatened her and told her the truth about her family. Nothing worked.

Suddenly, she felt Duke tense, and he roughly pushed her away. She regained her balance and watched as he took deep breaths, willing his Trouble under control. Duke’s skin absorbed the little bit of Nathan’s blood on his hand and his eyes turned silver. That wouldn’t happen unless the blood was from an alive Troubled person. She turned to Nathan.

Moira’s Trouble had activated because he was coughing and struggling to sit up. Jordan was helping him up, her sobs quieted to sniffs. Audrey bit her lip and turned back to Duke. He was leaning against the wall, breathing heavily. He nodded to her and she knew that he would be okay. The rush of power from his Trouble always took a toll.

“Nathan?” Audrey asked. Jordan shot her a glare and supported Nathan as he stood.

“I’m fine. Tommy. It was Tommy. He’s the killer,” Nathan told them. He seemed to be regaining strength by the minute.

“He got away,” Duke reported.

“We have to go after him,” Audrey insisted.

 

Audrey and Nathan found Tommy at a fishing shack. Vince and Dave were there, Tommy having kidnapped them. He tried to escape in a boat, but Audrey and Nathan shot at it and the boat exploded mid water. They called in a recovery team which found a single body. As Audrey watched the recovery team lifted the body out of the water and placed it in a body bag. Suddenly, they jumped back in shock. Audrey had to choke down the bile rising as she watched the skin fall off the body. It had to be a Trouble, and connected to her. After all Tommy—or whoever he really was—had kidnapped her. The medical examiner promised to contact Audrey and Nathan as soon as possible.

Maybe she would finally get some answers.

 

 

There was nothing left to do, so Audrey went home. Nathan was being cared for by Jordan, the Teagues brothers were getting checked out at the hospital, and Duke was supervising the opening of the Grey Gull. By the sound of the voices in the restaurant below her apartment, people were eager to have him back. The only one who seemed to need her was her dog Cookie. Cookie was still with her friend Claire, who had watched him while Audrey had been out of town.

 

When she finished cleaning up, Audrey knew she should make an appearance in the Gull.  She slowly made her way downstairs and ran into Duke leaning against the rail of the stairwell watching his customers.

“Popular tonight. What’s everyone so excited about?”

“It’s a party!” Duke answered, overly cheerful.

“What’s the occasion?”

“Nathan’s back from the dead, of course.” The man in question got out of his car, Jordan with him. Audrey was relieved to see that, other than looking tired, he seemed to be okay.

“Uh huh.” She watched Nathan and Jordan approach. “And for everyone who doesn’t know…?”

“Taco Tuesday.” He grinned. She couldn’t help but grin back, and their eyes locked. That same something that had caused her to kiss him in Colorado flared in her chest. She squashed it and looked away, not ready to think about what it meant. She noticed Vince on the back deck and left Duke.

 

“Hey, Vince. How are you doing?” For having been kidnapped and attacked, Vince looked well. He was using a cane and had a few bruises, but otherwise he seemed all right.

“I’m better. How are you doing?”

“I’m okay. I went to Colorado.” She watched as Vince paled. “I know everything now.” Vince stared at her and then out over the water. It was a little foggy, but she could see an island in the distance. She looked back at Vince, studying his expression, trying to find some clue as to his thoughts. “You knew.”

“Of course I knew. We helped her through it. I didn’t think that it was relevant to you, though.”

“How could it not be?” Audrey asked in disbelief. “He’s Sarah’s son. He was murdered and it was on the front page of your paper!”

“I hadn’t connected it all until you came here. Nobody can remember that day.”

Audrey acknowledged this fact. “You still should have told me. Is there anything else I should know?”

Vince visibly startled and grew pale. Audrey felt a sudden, deep sense of dread. She looked out over the water, hoping to see what had disturbed Vince and was causing her feeling. There was nothing there.

Vince licked his lips and turned back to her. “No. You know everything that you should now.”

Audrey doubted that. She wanted to push him. The words were right at her lips but she held them back. “All right.”

 

She went inside and ordered a beer. Nathan and Jordan had settled at a table, and from the look that Jordan gave her, Jordan definitely didn’t want her interrupting. Audrey returned the look with a smile and sat on a stool.

“She’s jealous of you.” Nora said quietly, placing Audrey’s drink in front of her.

“That your professional opinion?”

Nora smiled. “You said it when we first met: bartenders know more than others.”

“Mmm.” Audrey shook her head and looked around. A lot of the Taco Tuesday people were leaving, but the regulars were sticking around.

“And you look like you could use something stronger. Bad day?”

“You have no idea.”

Nora replaced the beer with a mixed drink and went to help another customer.

Audrey took a sip, the alcohol burning her throat. It was good, though, so she took another.

She was halfway through the drink and feeling warm when Duke approached her. He motioned to her drink. “You’re not drunk, are you?”

“No. Why?” She probably would not get drunk around him ever again. Not that she had been drunk in Colorado. More like slightly buzzed.

The cop in her laughed at this non-distinction.

“Can you come with me?”

 

His tone was so serious that she couldn’t help but follow him out of the bar and up to her apartment deck. The hum of the Gull customers faded a little. Audrey sat down in a chair, the exhaustion beginning to hit. “So, what did you want to talk about?”

Duke sat in the second chair. “About Colorado…”

Audrey sighed. This was bound to come up sooner or later. They couldn’t let it just sit and get in the way of their friendship. “Duke.”

“Listen, you know how you were basically saying that you had to choose to live a normal life or help the Troubled? And you choose the Troubled?”

“Yes. I have to. It’s like a compulsion.”

“Yeah. I got that in the first few weeks that we met.” He chuckled. “Anyway, what if I can give you both?”

She felt a flash of hope but quickly stifled it. “How?”

Duke stood, took a deep breath, and let it out slowly. “Marry me.”

Audrey heard the words, but they made no sense. All she could do was gape at him. After a moment, it clicked. “What?”

“Marry me,” he repeated.

Audrey scoffed, “Very funny.”

“I’m serious.”

“Duke…marriage…it’s… You don’t want to marry me. I’m going to disappear in twenty days.”

“I know that. And if I didn’t want to, I wouldn’t have asked.”

She shook her head. “It wouldn’t be fair to you. Besides, I would probably be a lousy wife what with the existential crisis and all. “

“Look, I’m not talking about white picket fences and you having dinner on the table at five.”

“Good, because I’m not a suburbia kind of girl, and I’m a lousy cook.”

He chuckled. “I told you we’re doing it your way, and that I’m in. The offer stands.” With a nod he turned and left. After a moment she got up and went into her apartment.

 

 

Marry Duke? The idea was absurd. Marrying anyone was absurd. She would just be using them and then leaving. Besides…Duke? Duke was one of her closest friends. He had dropped everything to accompany her to Colorado. Instead of trying to convince her about how she should act, he was letting her choose what she wanted to do.

But marriage? Marriage was so many things. It was being as close to someone as you could be. Even after being in Haven for five months, she still kept people somewhat at bay. Oh, she revealed things, talked about things, but truthfully? She was alone.

That wasn't even thinking about the physical aspect of marriage. Oh, she was attracted to Duke. There was something there from the moment they met. She hadn’t addressed it then, of course, and had been ignoring it since. She had focused her attention on Nathan. Nathan was the shy one, the safe one.

Until Colorado. Yes, she had been slightly intoxicated, but she had finally let those feelings come to the surface. As a result, they had kissed. They probably would have done more if she hadn’t stopped.

Did he expect that to be part of it?

He had said that it would be her way. What was her kind of marriage? She hadn’t had any good examples growing up. There were no parents to base it on, and the few foster homes she had been in were basically how to guides on what a marriage should not be.

In her brief—well, the other Audrey’s—brief life, there had been no consideration of it. But the other Audrey had had a Brad.

Did she want a Brad?

Maybe she was thinking about it the wrong way and Duke didn’t want a marriage. They would say I Do without really meaning it so that she could have the ceremony. Yes, that made more sense.

 

 

She waited until the Grey Gull closed before heading downstairs. Duke was instructing Nora on closing up. He spotted her waiting by his truck.

“Taco Tuesday was a success.”

“They were glad to have you back. Thank you, by the way, for going with me to Colorado.” She had thanked him before, but it seemed appropriate to do it again.

“Nothing to thank. I’m just glad that we got the information you needed.”

“Yeah, not ready to think about that yet.” She took a deep breath. “I have an answer for you.” She opened her mouth to say the words but found them hard to say. After a moment, she was able to. “Yes. I’ll marry you.”

He seemed stunned, and Audrey wondered if he had really expected her to say yes. Maybe the whole question was just a gesture.

“Are you sure?”

“Are you?”

“I know a guy who can do it. Tomorrow at 7?”

“Yeah, it’s fine. I’ll see you then.”


	11. Chapter 11

During her lunch the next day, Audrey called Claire. She wasn’t sure exactly what she would say, so when Claire answered, Audrey sounded artificially cheerful.

“How’s your day going?”

“What’s going on?” Claire asked. She was always one to get right to the point.

“Would you be willing to help me with something?”

“Depends on what it is.”

Audrey looked around to see if anyone was near, even though she was in her car. “Can you come by my apartment later? Wearing something kinda fancy…and tell me where I can get something really fancy?” She didn’t want something poofy and white but rather something a little above what she had worn the last two times she needed to dress up.

“Why?”

“I’m getting married tonight,” she blurted and closed her eyes, waiting for the blow up.

“To who?” Claire sounded calm. Did they teach that in psychiatry school?

“Duke. He asked last night and I said yes.”

There was a long pause before Claire finally spoke. “What time?”

Audrey breathed a sigh of relief over not getting a lecture and told her to be there at six.

 

The next call she made was to Vince and Dave. Despite their annoying habit of keeping things from her, she considered them friends. She spoke with Dave, and at first he was cheerful. Yet,  when she told him about the wedding, his voice grew cold and he declined. Audrey was left staring at her phone in confusion.

There was a knock on her window, and she jumped. Nathan was standing next to her car, looking mildly amused. “Sorry,” he apologized when she climbed out.

Audrey shut the door a little harder than she needed to. “Don’t worry about it. Nathan, would…” she trailed off. No, she couldn’t invite him. They had a history of flirtation that they tried to turn into more.  Also, for years he hated Duke. The hatred had cooled to tolerance, but this would be asking too much.

“Would I what?”

She held up the last part of her lunch. “Would you like my chips? I don’t like salt and vinegar.”

He took the bag with a grin, and she followed him into the station.

 

 

Claire arrived precisely at six pm. Audrey answered the door to find her carrying a garment bag and two small cases. She narrowed her eyes at Audrey and nodded. “Well, at least you showered.” She then marched into the apartment as though she were on a mission.

Claire was mostly silent as she helped Audrey get ready.  Audrey felt as if she had a lot to say but was holding back for some reason.  This wasn't like her, and it worried Audrey.

 

Once she was dressed, Audrey surveyed herself in the mirror.  For something last minute, the dress wasn't bad.  It had a lace overdress with short sleeves. The solid color underneath was a pale purple.  “Where did you find this?”

Claire brandished her curling iron, arranging Audrey's hair into a fancy style. “I have my sources.”

“Uh huh. Are you really a psychiatrist, or do you secretly work with Duke?” It was a bad joke, but hopefully it would pull Claire out of her silence.

Claire laughed, curling small chunks of hair. “Of course. It took you this long to figure that out? Audrey, are you sure about this?”

“Are you speaking as my friend or my therapist?”

“Both.”

Audrey didn’t reply. Sure? Not completely. A large part of her mind was telling her that this was a bad idea, but Duke had made a good point. “I deserve to have a normal life. I know I can’t really have one, but…I have a little less than three weeks left, Claire. I need to have some happiness. Duke is willing to do this favor for me.”

Claire added some clips to Audrey’s hair. “Are you sure it’s a favor?”

“What’s that supposed to mean?”

“I mean, most men would not offer marriage to a woman they didn’t love.” She tossed some hair over Audrey’s shoulders, frowned, and pulled it back.

“You think that Duke loves me?”

Claire had a small smile. “Mmmhmm.” She covered Audrey’s hair with spray and nodded. “Done.”

Audrey turned and crossed her arms. “Duke doesn’t love me. I mean, he’s never shown any sign that he does.”

Claire turned off the curling iron and handed Audrey her small bouquet of flowers. “Hasn’t he?”

 

Audrey scoffed and shook her head, leaving her apartment and heading down the steps. It appeared that Duke had closed the Gull for the ceremony.

There were three people she vaguely recognized sitting at a table and drinking. Duke was talking to a man by the bar. When Duke saw her, he stopped, seeming surprised. He recovered a moment later and gestured for her to come over.

“Audrey, you look—uh, yeah. This is Steve. He’s the one who’s going to marry us,” Duke told her. “Told you I knew a guy.”

“Steve. Just Steve?”

Steve nodded. “It’s enough.” Audrey glanced out of the corner of her eye at Duke, who slightly shook his head. So, Steve was a friend from Duke’s first profession.

“And they are?” Audrey gestured at the people drinking. Claire took a seat far from them.

“Witnesses. They were here, so I offered drinks if they stayed and were quiet.”

“I see…”

“So, do you want a ceremony, or to skip straight to the vows?” Steve asked, pulling a notebook out of his pocket.

Audrey raised her eyebrows at Duke. He chuckled. “The vows, please.” Audrey nodded, letting him know he had guessed right.

“All right. Anybody think that they shouldn’t be married?” Audrey looked around and everyone was quiet. “Okay. Please read this.” He handed Audrey and Duke slips of paper. Audrey stifled a laugh and cleared her throat. “I, Audrey, take you Duke, to be my husband. To have and to hold, from this day forward. For better or for worse, for richer or for poorer, in sickness and in health, from this day until—“ She broke off and licked her lips. Death parted? Was it death, or something else? Something worse?

“Until we part,” Duke completed for her, his voice so quiet that only she could hear it.

She nodded, and he repeated the vows, again altering them. Steve didn’t think that this was weird or just didn’t care. He took back the papers. “You have rings?”

 

Duke reached into his pocket and pulled out two rings. One was a plain golden band. The other was also a golden band, but it had a pearl in the center and two tiny diamonds on either side. “Duke!” she exclaimed.

He shrugged. “Just had it lying around.” He handed her the plain band. “I think you’re supposed to go first.”

Steve held out another piece of paper, and she read it while she slipped the ring onto his finger. She thought that she felt him shaking a little bit but couldn’t be sure.

Duke gently took Audrey’s hand, and she couldn’t help but watch his face as he slid the ring onto her finger. He held the tips of her fingers as he spoke. He was definitely shaking. “I give you this ring as a symbol of my love. Wear it as a reminder of my promise to you.”

He looked in her eyes for a moment, and his usual carefree bravado had slipped away. His face held something that she hadn’t seen before. Her mind refused to define it.

Or had she, and she had just denied it, instead focusing on the feelings that she thought she had for Nathan?

She bit her lip. “Duke, do you mean it?” she asked, the closest she could get to outright asking if he loved her.

“Do you?” he replied.

She opened her mouth and nothing came out. His carefree mask returned.

“Well, by the power invested in me by the internet I now pronounce you husband and wife. Go ahead and kiss.” Steve waved his hand at them and began packing his notebook away.

Audrey glanced at the people gathered and then back at Duke. He gave her a cocky grin and leaned in, lightly pressing his lips to hers. Her eyes drifted shut, and she couldn’t help but lean a little closer to him, couldn’t help but grip his shoulders tight. After a moment they broke the kiss and Audrey took a few steps back, frightened by the realization that was pushing itself into her mind.

Claire had been right. This was more than just a favor to Duke. He did love her.

And she loved him back.

 

 

Duke turned his attention to Steve to finish up the business. Audrey signed what she needed to sign and retreated to Claire’s table.

“You did it,” Claire said.

“I did.” She tried to take deep breaths as she watched Duke speaking to Steve. He escorted the man to the door and flipped the sign to open. It was already dark, but a few people might show up.

 Claire studied her, and Audrey shook her head. She didn’t want to be analyzed or talk about it. Now was a time for friendship.

Claire reached over and took Audrey’s bouquet. “Since I’m the only other woman here, does that mean I automatically get this?”

Audrey grinned, grateful. “Take it.”

Duke walked over and placed a martini in front of Audrey. He looked questioningly at Claire, but she shook her head. Some customers came in and he hurried off to take care of them.

“Best wedding I’ve ever been to,” one of the guests said on their way out. Audrey narrowed her eyes at them. One of them looked vaguely familiar, but the others she didn’t know.

“I have to go.” Claire placed her hand on Audrey’s arm. “Congratulations and good luck.”

 

By the time she finished her drink, the Grey Gull was as full as usual. She hurried up to her apartment where she was greeted by Cookie’s whining. “All right, boy. Let me get out of these heels, and I’ll take you out.”

She tossed a hoodie over her dress and laced on some sneakers. Cookie began to dance around when she grabbed the leash. Once it was latched, he practically ran to the door and down the stairs.

 

Cookie knew better than to go by the gull, so Audrey led him out of sight before letting him do his business. She was gazing around when she heard footsteps. Cookie growled, and she wished that she had brought her gun. She was still jumpy at night since her abduction.

“It’s me,” Nathan announced. He appeared in the darkness a moment later.

“Nathan. What’s going on?” she asked, relieved and confused. He was not a normal patron of the Gull.

“You didn’t answer your phone.”

“Yeah, I’ve been busy. Sorry.”

 “Did you get married?”

“Who told you that?”

“Stan’s brother claims that he was one of your guests.”

Audrey sighed and crossed her arms. Cookie’s leash got tangled so she concentrated on that, using the time to try and find the right words.  “Nathan…”

He stepped up to her. “Audrey, it’s not true, is it?”

The fact that he was using her first name instead of her last showed that this had really gotten to him. “Why does it matter? You’re with Jordan.”

He took her right hand. His breath caught as it did every time he touched her. “I was with Jordan, but when I…revived…I realized that I don’t love her. I love you.”

His timing was horrible. A week ago she would have loved to hear that he loved her. She had accepted that he was dating Jordan, but not completely. She gently pulled out of his grasp. “I am married, Nathan. To Duke.” She held up her left hand, showing him the ring.

“Legally?”

“Yes.” At least as legal as she could get.

“Of all the men in Haven you married him?” he shook his head. “Why him?”

She took a calming breath. “Because he gave me what I needed.”

“What does that mean?”

“I…I need something that is mine. Something not connected to the other Audrey Parker or the Troubles.”

“I can give you that. I love you, Audrey.” He sounded so convinced that it broke her heart to continue.

“No, you don’t. You love the idea of me. You love what I can do. I need someone who ‘wants’ me, not ‘needs’ me.”

She watched as Nathan’s earnestness was covered by the blank face that he used most of the time in public. “I’m too Troubled for you.”

“What? No!” That wasn’t what she meant at all. After all, she was the woman whose whole purpose was dealing with the Troubles.

Actually, as horrible as it was, maybe Nathan was right.

“Yeah, I am. Mine is there every second of every day; his only happens when he kills one of us!” His angry tone made Cookie growl.

“Nathan. I love you. You’re my best friend. But—“

He held up a hand and took a few steps back. “I’ll see you tomorrow. Actually, take tomorrow off. Enjoy your honeymoon.”

She watched him go and fought the tears in her eyes. She knew that their friendship was over. He would never forgive this.

 


	12. Chapter 12

Married life was just like single life. At least, that is what Audrey found. She still lived in her apartment, went to work, came home, and the next day repeated it all. She still dealt with the Troubled. The main differences were she had a ring on her finger, and she had endured some subtle backlash at the station.

It hadn’t been too bad. When she had gone in two days after the wedding, she found that some of the officers referred to her as Officer Crocker in a borderline sarcastic tone. When she told Nathan about it, he hadn’t seemed surprised. He said that a cop marrying a crook was never going to go over well. He also hadn’t sounded particularly upset about it, either. Since it wasn’t an actual problem unless it affected her work, she didn’t call anybody on it, and soon things returned to normal.  

 

Normal, that is, until Duke and Nathan were thrown into the past by Stuart Mosley’s Trouble, and she was pushed into an alternate timeline. She had felt panic not only at the changes but at the fact that Duke was missing. That time between reading the explanation letter that Duke had sent through time, and going to Stuart Mosley’s had been intense. The thought that she would never see Duke again disturbed her more than she had thought possible. Then Nathan went missing, she had to go on the run, and she couldn’t think anymore.

After leaving Stuart Mosley’s house, both Nathan and Duke acted strange. Duke withdrew to the Cape Rouge, and Nathan seemed distant. Nineteen Fifty-five was the year Sarah had arrived in Haven. They obviously had met her, if the past Stuart was able to gain control of his Trouble and send them home.

What had she been like? Did she have the same personality as Audrey? What about the same mannerisms?

Duke finally told her the story the next day. He explained how trying to save his grandfather’s life had nearly resulted in Sarah’s death, and how history wasn’t averted when Sarah killed Roy Crocker in self-defense.

It made Audrey’s first day in Haven seen easy.

But none of it explained Nathan’s behavior.

 

 

Audrey pulled her bag out of the bottom drawer of her desk and set it on top. Her shift was done, and she was supposed to meet Duke for dinner. First, she needed to ask Nathan an important question. “Nathan?”

“Yeah?” He didn’t even look up from his file.

“When you were in the past, did Sarah have a boyfriend?”

It was so small that others would not have noticed it, but she knew Nathan well enough to tell that he was disturbed by the question. “Why?”

“When I was in Colorado, I learned that James Cogan was Sarah’s son. Going by his birthday, I—“

“Sarah had a son?”

“Yeah, and he must have been conceived around the time that she arrived here.”

“Was the father named?” Nathan asked. His voice held a note of panic in it.

Audrey shook her head. “No. All I know is what Vince told me. Sarah told him that the father hadn’t been born yet…” Audrey trailed off. Nathan was staring at his desktop, obviously stunned.

The father hadn’t been born yet. She watched as Nathan pulled a photograph of James out of a file and stared at it. “Looking for a family resemblance?” She was surprised that her voice was so calm when all she felt was growing anger and horror.

“Audrey.”

“Tell me you didn’t sleep with her.”

“I did.”

Audrey stood, feeling violated. He had kissed and touched Sarah.

They had made a baby.

“You couldn’t have me so you had the next best thing?”

“It had nothing to do with you.”

“It has everything to do with me!”

“No. It was me and Sarah. You weren’t even in the picture. There were some similarities—“

“You mean like having the same body?” She gestured to herself.

Nathan didn’t seem to hear. “Sarah wasn’t you. She and I…we clicked right away.” His voice grew tender. “She was more outgoing in a way. She didn’t hesitate about anything. She knew what she wanted and went after it. She chose me.” He looked back down at the photo. “And we had a son.”

Audrey felt an ache in her chest that she didn’t quite understand. “You don’t understand, do you?”

“You don’t understand. This isn’t about you. It’s about her and me.”

Audrey knew that she wasn’t going to get anywhere, so she grabbed her bag and headed for the door. When she was outside, she immediately grabbed her phone and dialed.

 

“Thank you for seeing me so quickly,” Audrey told Claire.

“It’s no problem. So, what’s going on?” Claire asked, taking a seat.

“Nathan and Sarah Vernon had a baby. He’s James Cogan’s father.”

To Claire’s credit, she didn’t give any reaction. “I see. This upsets you?”

“Yes! How could he have done that knowing that I’m…It’s my body.” She began to pace in front of her chair.

“But it wasn’t then. It was Sarah’s.”

Audrey shook her head. “That doesn’t matter. He knew it was my body, and he still slept with her.” He now knew things about her body that he had no right to know.

“So you’re saying that you and Sarah are the same person.”

“No, we’re not!”

“So you’re separate people with separate lives, but it’s not okay for Sarah to have sex?”

Audrey flinched and hugged herself, the violated feeling growing. “Not with Nathan.”

“I see…” Claire made a note on her legal pad. “What about you and Duke?”

Audrey stopped pacing, confused at the sudden change in topic. “What about me and Duke?”

“You’re going to be someone else in 27 years. Is it all right for you and Duke to—“

Audrey cut her off. “We’re not.”

“You haven’t consummated your marriage?” Claire made another note.

“No. But this isn’t about that.”

“Have you had any intimate, romantic relationships since coming here?”

She had been pursued by Chris Brody. They had gone out, but he had proven to be an ass by thinking that flowers and flattering words would get her into bed when they had only known each other for a week. Then there had been Nathan. Their only date had been ruined by her abduction.

“No, and we’re not going to talk about that.”

Claire set down her pen. “Then why don’t we talk about the real issue? Do you realize the first thing you said? It was ‘Nathan and Sarah Vernon had a baby’.”

Audrey suddenly felt a flutter of anxiety. “So?”

“Do you want a baby, Audrey?”

Audrey sat down. “You know that’s not an option for me.”

“I mean, if you were a normal married woman, would you want to have a baby?”

“If I was normal, I wouldn’t be here.” Claire gave her a look that said she wasn’t in the mood for BS.

“I don’t think you’re mad because he and Sarah had sex.” Audrey flinched again. “Although that is an issue… I think the deeper problem is that he is a part of something you will never have”

Audrey sat in silence for a while. Claire didn’t seem to be in a hurry to break it. Her therapist just sat peacefully watching her. The anger and feeling of violation had faded, replaced by despair. “You know I didn’t have a very good childhood. I had always thought that I’d get married to a good man and give a baby what I never had. Parents that love it.”

She had never revealed that to anyone. Before, it had been buried while she focused on her career. Then she got involved with the Troubles, and it had seemed to be gone.

“You can’t fulfill that plan. You can, however, have a different love now. You wanted to be married, yet you have not allowed Duke to love you. Right now you’re putting on an act for everybody else but yourself.”

“He doesn’t love me,” she replied.

“Stop. I was there. We both know what he meant when he said those vows. I also saw the look on your face afterward.”

Audrey looked down at her hands. “I should apologize to Nathan. Even if I don’t agree, we still have to work together. And he did just find out he has a kid he can never meet.”

“You always think of others before yourself.”

“I think I’m programmed that way,” Audrey replied, feeling that it was in some way true.

 

 

Nathan wasn’t answering his phone, so Audrey went home. As she passed by the entrance of the Grey Gull, she saw Duke talking to a waitress. She paused on the stairs. A good person would go inside and apologize. She took a few more steps towards her apartment, and then sighed. With Nathan angry with her, she couldn’t afford to lose someone else.

She sat down and tried to look guilty, but had the feeling that all she managed was tired. “I’m sorry

“It’s not the first time you’ve stood me up. A Trouble?”

“No, the effects of one. Nathan is James Cogan’s father.”

Duke looked stunned and then set about making a drink. He placed it in front of her, and she gratefully took a sip. “We were only there for a few hours.”

“He works fast when he wants to.” She took a large swallow, and coughed. “Did you—“

“No,” he interrupted. “I had no idea. They gave no hint.” He gave a mirthless chuckle. “My brief interaction with Sarah was not so pleasant.”

She finished her drink in a couple of gulps and gestured for another. He looked at her with some concern. “You sure? You’re not one to drown your sorrows.”

“You own a bar. Shouldn’t you be pushing me to drink more?” He was right, of course.“No. I’m going to go up.”

He came around the bar. “Need me to make a cupcake run?”

That actually made her smile. “No. I don’t need to eat my feelings. I have Cookie to cuddle now.” She slowly stood and placed some money on the bar. “You’re a good friend, Duke.  Probably the best.”

He seemed sad. “Right. I’ll see you tomorrow.”

 

 

After walking her dog, Audrey took a hot shower. As she was pulling on her comfiest pair of pajamas, she paused and ran her fingers over her sides. Looking close, she could see a few pale, shiny lines. Stretch marks. Examining herself, she found them on her belly, hips, and breasts. It was proof that it had happened. Her body had been pregnant.

With Nathan’s child.

The evidence had been there all this time. She had never given them more than a passing thought. Now they were obvious. Permanent marks on her skin that reminded her that she was just a temporary inhabitant of this body.

 

Once she finished dressing, she tried to relax. She was exhausted and needed sleep, but it wasn’t happening. After a few hours, she pulled out her phone and wrote a text. She debated sending it, the words waring with her instinct: I don’t want to be alone.

Finally, she hit send.

 

She wasn’t sure how much time passed as she tried to sleep. She felt stupid at her momentary weakness and knew that it would do nothing but embarrass her the next day.

The door unlocked and opened. A few minutes later there were footsteps, rustling, and Cookie growling as he was moved. Duke settled next to her with a sigh.

She rolled over. “Thank you.”

“No problem. Bed’s more comfortable than mine anyway.”

She chuckled then sobered. An unpleasant thought came into her head. She tried to ignore it, but had to ask. “Did you save me because I looked like Lucy?”

He turned so that he was facing her. “What? Audrey, I saved you because you were drowning.”

“Even though I’m a cop?”

“Even though. Lucy had nothing to do with it.”

He sounded sincere. “All right.”

He brushed her hair off her face. “I’m sorry. I should have kept a leash on him or something.”

“Thank you.” His hand moved to her waist. Instead of strange, it felt comforting. She shifted and, after a moment of hesitation, lightly kissed him. Curling up against him, she was finally able to fall asleep.

 


	13. Chapter 13

The next day, Audrey went into work with a plan on how to make things right with Nathan. Nathan had stayed in his office in his office and refused to speak to anyone unless it was official business. When he did speak to someone he was quite irritable. By lunch, she was ready to put her plan into action.

“Nathan?” she knocked on the door and slowly opened it.

“Yeah?” He wasn’t doing paperwork but was staring out the window instead.

“Can you come with me somewhere for a while?” she asked.

Nathan didn’t turn from the window “I’m sure one of the other officers can accompany you.”

“It’s personal.”

It seemed as if he were going to dismiss her again, but he surprised her by putting down his pen and grabbing his coat.

 

Nathan didn’t ask where they were going. He seemed annoyed when she stopped at a florist and then curious when she came back with a small bouquet of flowers. She offered no explanation when she set it between them and started the car.

She could feel his body tense when she stopped her car at Potter’s Field Cemetery. She took the small bouquet and walked to plot 301. After a few minutes she heard the car door.

“Why are we here? He’s not in there.” He sounded downright belligerent.

Audrey looked at the disturbed soil. There was still no grass.

“I know, but it’s all there is.”

They stood in awkward silence for a few minutes. Audrey tried to make sense of her churning emotions. This had seemed like a good idea. It was supposed to provide some closure for Nathan, and show him that she was not as upset as she had been. That she got it.

Even if she didn’t.

“I’m never going to be completely comfortable. It’s not…” She stopped, getting her anger under control. She was here to make peace. “I’m sorry that you never got to meet him.” She crouched and set the flowers on the soil.

Nathan took a shaky breath. “Audrey?”

“Yeah?”

“My son was murdered.” His voice was harsh, and the pure anguish in it made her ashamed. She had been so focused on herself that she had forgotten this fact.

“Yeah.”

“Why?” He seemed genuinely confused.

She stood. “I don’t know. Nobody does.” The truth would probably never come out. He knew this. She also understood that knowing something as a cop and knowing something as a father were two different things.

She placed her hand on his shoulder. She was the only person he could feel, and she wanted to provide some comfort. He flinched away. Audrey just nodded and went to wait in the car, leaving him to his pain.

 

Nathan did seem better after their visit to the graveyard. He was still quieter than normal, but he left his office door open and seemed willing to speak to people. As she was getting ready to leave, he approached her.

“I got the DNA results back from Bangor. The body pulled from the water after the explosion? It was Arla Cogan.” Nathan handed her a piece of paper.

“Arla?” Audrey remembered what they had seen when the body was pulled from the water. “James’s wife? I found out in Colorado that she committed suicide.”

“If her Trouble took the skin of others, she probably faked it and has been living as others since then.”

“Her Trouble might have been triggered before James was killed. That’s why she was looking for him. She didn’t know.”

“Yeah.” He took a few steps backward towards his office. “Well, it’s over. Your kidnapper is gone. You can relax now.”

 

 

Audrey could admit that she felt better knowing she no longer had to look over her shoulder for her abductor.  She couldn’t help, however, the sadness that came with knowing that Arla had been Troubled and just looking for her husband.

After work, she went to the grocery store and ran into Duke. He peered into her basket and frowned. “Strawberry toaster pastries, Audrey? What happened to eating healthier?”

She felt defensive until she heard the teasing in his voice. “It has fruit filling. And I have a bag of lettuce… Besides, are those barbeque chips I see in your cart?”

“Man’s gotta have snacks during poker,” he said with a grin.

They turned into the next aisle and Audrey stopped to examine the display of salad dressing. She reached for some vinaigrette but changed her mind and grabbed a bottle of ranch with bacon.

Duke took a bottle of Italian dressing off the shelf and read the back. “So, you want to do something tomorrow night?”

“Like what?” She moved on to croutons.

“There’s a fair in town. Food, games, rides.”

“Are you asking me on date?” Her voice was playful, but her heart had started pounding.

“We don’t have to label anything, do we?” He set the bottle back on the shelf.

She was surprised that she was so disappointed. “No, of course not. Uh, yeah. A fair sounds fun.”

 

 

The fair was a November tradition in Haven. It wasn’t very large, and it was located in a large field at the edge of town. There was a Ferris wheel, a couple of children’s rides, game booths, and the delicious scent of burgers, cotton candy, and desserts. In the distance, there was music playing, and from the sound if it, it was Haven’s local radio station.

Audrey couldn’t help but grin and head towards the cotton candy stand. Buying a bag of maple flavored, she took a moment to look around. “This is not what I expected. I don’t know where to start.”

“What’s your favorite game or ride?”

She picked at the candy. “I don’t know. I’ve only been to one fair. One of my foster families was given free tickets. We had to leave early because another kid had a tantrum.”

“Well, you know—” They began walking down the main row. “—there is a secret to a good fair experience. First, you want to start with the rides. Then you eat and possibly visit some exhibits. Finally, you finish with games, that way if you win anything you don’t have to carry it all over.”

“I see. Well, it doesn’t look like there are really any big rides except for the Ferris wheel.” She tried to not sound disappointed. He didn’t need to know that riding a roller coaster was on her bucket list.

“While it does provide a nice view of the town, it is not really exciting,” he admitted. “So, exhibits?”

 

The exhibits and vendors were interesting in a small town way. There were farm animal contests and people selling various arts and crafts.  There was a booth selling crochet items, and Audrey bought a headband that also covered her ears. It had a small grouping of snowflakes on it.

“Okay, blending in with the locals is one thing, but that's going too far.”

“The snowflakes? I like snow.” She didn’t mention that she probably wouldn’t be around for the first snow of the year. “Hey, there’s a hat with snowflakes. It’s would go great with that shirt.” He was wearing his usual button down blue shirt.

“Funny. Really funny.” He went off to check out a booth selling nautical themed decorations. Audrey handed the crochet seller some money and bought the hat.

 

WDLH, Haven’s radio station’s booth was extremely popular that evening. The music was blasting so loud it could be heard over the entire area, and some people had even started to sing along.

“I’m not sure what I’m seeing,” Duke commented, watching the owner of a coffee shop start singing along with the song.

“Me either… You don’t think—“

He cut her off. “You’re off duty, remember?”

She narrowed her eyes at the crowd. “Yeah but—“ If it were a Trouble, she needed to find out whose it was. But what kind of Trouble would make a crowd of people so happy and carefree?

“Audrey, people are happy and letting off steam. It’s fun! It’s a fair.” He shook his head. “Let’s go play some games.”

Audrey narrowed her eyes at him and finally followed.

 

Audrey couldn’t resist the water shooting booth. She had to hit five targets with streams of water, and, if she knocked over the targets, she won a prize.

Adjusting her stance, she fired. The targets went down, one right after the other. Just for fun, she shot down all of the targets, not just her five.

With a small smile, she handed the water pistol back to the shocked man.

“She’s a cop.” Duke explained with a grin.

“I think that’s the first time you ever sounded proud of that fact.”

Her prize was a giant stuffed lobster. Well, it was Maine.

 

After eating dinner, they tried a few more games. Duke won a large, plastic starfish, and Audrey offered to trade him her stuffed lobster, but he declined.

The festive mood grew to the point that some people were even dancing. Audrey’s uneasiness grew, and she continued to scan the crowd. She could detect nothing, though. Nobody looked out of place. There wasn’t the shocked or scared body language that normally came with someone first realizing that they were Troubled.

Maybe Duke was right, and people were just enjoying themselves. Maybe she had just become too cynical.

 

“That was actually fun,” Audrey admitted, unlocking her door and leaning against it. “I needed it.”

“I’d say I told you so, but I’m bigger than that.”

“No, you’re not,” she replied but with warmth.

“I’m really not,” he agreed.

She caught his eye for a moment and then looked past him to the water.  “Thank you. Not just for this, but for everything. I’ve been in a pretty dark place lately.” That was, of course, an understatement. ‘Lately’ was actually months. This evening had been a nice change. “Thank you for sticking by me through it.”

“It’s for better or for worse, right?” His tone was light but she could detect some seriousness that he was trying to hide.

Claire’s words came back to her and she nervously looked at the ground. Taking a step forward, she raised her face to his. “Right.”

Leaning in, she lightly pressed her lips to his. He seemed surprised, and it took a second for him to respond. Slowly, he reached up and cupped her face. His lips were gentle and hesitant, as though he feared that once again she would change her mind. She wrapped one arm around his neck, pulling him closer.

Audrey had meant the kiss to be light, just a thank you. The same intensity that had happened in Colorado surfaced again, and she had to force herself to pull away.

Her heart was pounding and they both were fighting to catch their breaths as she leaned her head against the door.

A part of her wanted to keep everyone at a distance like she had since she found out that she was disappearing at the end of November. The rest of her realized that nothing bad had happened, that she enjoyed Duke’s company, and that she wanted to see where things would go.

Well, it was pretty obvious where.

Deciding to take a chance, she reached behind her for the doorknob. “Do you want to—“ She motioned towards the door.

His answer was yes.


	14. Chapter 14

The good mood that she had observed at the fair was the result of a Trouble. Audrey was right, and for once she didn’t want to be. It was further proof that she should follow her instincts and that she was not allowed to enjoy herself.

For most of the day after the fair nothing had seemed wrong. She awoke to the smell of breakfast. Duke had insisted on making his “famous” waffles and some bacon. After breakfast, she found out that there was nothing special about the waffles, and that “the secret is in the syrup.”

Work was normal police cases. Her first case in the morning had involved a stolen award winning Chihuahua. After some searching and questioning the neighbors, it turned out that it wasn’t stolen, but hiding in a neighbor’s garden pot.  The owner was advised to keep it inside when mowing the lawn.

Things went downhill from there.

 

By mid-afternoon, the station started getting calls about strange behavior. People were suddenly showing signs of deep depression and refusing to leave their businesses, homes, or cars. Some of them were even sitting in the grass or on sidewalks.

It was Nathan who gave her the clue to figuring out the puzzle. He turned on the radio in his truck and his mood plummeted. Figuring out the connection, she rushed to the radio station.

They found Lena Palmer broadcasting with tears running down her face. The other station workers were crying or huddled in balls, barely moving. Lena was struggling to get through her broadcast when Audrey and Nathan confronted her. They convinced her to stop, and that was when Audrey took over to do her part.

“You think I’m Troubled?” Lena asked.

“I do. I think that you can transfer your emotions to others through your broadcasting.”

“I’ve worked here for a year. Nothing has happened before.”

“Troubles can be triggered at any time. Has there been any stress lately?”

Lena nodded. “My mother was in an accident a month ago. She was comatose, but came out of it two days ago. I was so happy.”

 “Were you at the fair yesterday?”

“Yes. It was a relief to be able to have fun and do my job without worrying about getting a call.”

“What happened today?”

“This morning when I went to visit, I found out that she…she had series of strokes. The damage is so severe that…that…”

“She’s not going to wake up,” Audrey finished for her.

Lena nodded and sobbed.

Audrey advised Lena to contact Claire, along with the recommendation that she never work with music again.

 

Thankfully, no deaths or serious injuries were reported as a result of Lena's Trouble.  Audrey spotted Vince and Dave outside the radio station and wondered how they were going to cover this up. Feeling almost numb, she climbed into Nathan’s truck.

While they drove the long way to the police station, Audrey thought over her time in Haven, and then focused on the last few days.  As she did, she came to a realization that made her gasp.

“What?” Nathan asked, startled.

She didn’t answer. She couldn’t answer. It was too horrible.

Nathan pulled over onto the side of the road. He turned to her. “Parker, what’s wrong?”

“I’m cursed,” she managed to say.

“No…you’re immune to the Troubles, remember?”

She shook her head. “I don’t mean like you. My life is a curse.” As she spoke, deep down she felt that what she was saying was correct. “Any time I try to have a life outside of helping the Troubled, I’m stopped. It happened to Sarah, it may have happened to Lucy.” She started to cry. “My entire purpose is to come here, help the Troubled, and disappear. I’m just a tool. What could I—whoever I was when this began—possibly have done to deserve this…punishment?”

That felt like the truth. It was punishment for something.

She felt an ache in her head. It was similar to the kind she got when she was trying to access Lucy’s memories. Rubbing her forehead, she wiped her cheeks.

“What did any of us do?” Nathan asked quietly. “What could an entire town have done to get cursed? We’ll never know. But you work around it.”

She remembered his essential oils set and nodded. “Last night at the fair, I knew it was a Trouble. I let myself be talked out of investigating it so that I could have fun.”

“Ignoring it is not advisable.”

“Says the man who, on the day we met, refused a MRI,” Audrey remembered. The day they met Nathan had been injured but refused to get a MRI, deciding to help Audrey with the case instead.

“Do as I say…” He smiled. “So next time you don’t ignore it. You still have fun when you can though. As for your curse? At least some good has come from it. We’re friends, and you have helped a lot of people.” To prove his point, he reached over and took her hand.

She lightly squeezed his fingers. “Yeah. There is that.”

 

 

Audrey took everybody’s advice, and managed to find some balance between doing her job and having a life. Her relationship with Duke settled into normalcy. He was almost living with her in the apartment, and, to her surprise, she didn’t mind.

In her search for balance, she pushed her realization into the back of her mind. Unfortunately, thanks to the Guard’s most desperate plan yet, Audrey was no longer able to ignore the truth.

That plan involved a Troubled girl named Ginger. The child had the Trouble of making people do what she told them to. The Guard wanted to exploit this ability, so they convinced Ginger’s father to bring her to Haven.  They had not anticipated that a lack of communication between Ginger and her father would result in chaos and a death. Ginger, angry and not understanding why she was moving to Haven, had activated her Trouble. In the end, one person was dead, several people—including Duke—were injured, and Ginger’s father was kidnapped.

Jordan had attempted to regain control of Ginger, and had been caught by Audrey and Nathan. Thanks to Ginger’s ability, Audrey was determined to get some answers. Ginger had instructed Jordan to answer all questions Audrey, Nathan or Duke asked.

“What does the Guard want with Ginger's Trouble?” Audrey demanded.

“We were going to use her to control you,” Jordan answered, a furious look on her face.

“Control me? Have you forgotten that I’m immune?”

“Duke isn’t. We’d take control of him. You claim to love him, so if he was threatened…”

“Why?” Frustration made Audrey slam her palms against the table and glare at Jordan. “What do you want from me? I’ve done everything I can to help people!”

“You need to go in the Barn when it comes.”

“What’s the Barn?” Nathan asked.

“The Barn is where she goes. She goes in, disappears, and the Troubles go away for 27 years.”

“I already know that I’m disappearing. I’ve accepted that, so why the need for manipulation?”

“Lucy didn’t want to go. She was happy here. She had her son and her friends.” Jordan licked her lips, obviously not wanting to continue, but she didn't have a choice. “She tried to run. It took a lot of persuasion to get her into the Barn. We wanted to be ready this time.”

What could possibly make a woman who was so against it give up her life?

A thought formed. A horrible, tragic suspicion that she didn’t want to give voice to. “The Guard killed the Colorado Kid.”

Jordan looked Audrey in the eyes. “The Guard’s original mission was to protect the Troubled. Now, it has another: to make sure that you go in the Barn.”

“By any means necessary.”

She had known that the Guard would protect others even if it meant going against the law. But this?

“That’s ridiculous,” Nathan protested. “They wouldn’t kill one of their own.”

“He wasn’t Troubled.” Jordan countered.

Apparently James took after Sarah.

Nathan looked at Jordan as if he was seeing her for the first time. “You killed my son?”

“Your—“

“You killed a kid?” Ginger interrupted, stepping forward.

Audrey had forgotten that she was there. “Ginger, it’s—“

“You’re a bad woman.” Ginger shouted.

“I am,” Jordan agreed as Ginger’s Trouble took over.

“You will never, ever hurt another person.”

Jordan nodded, crying. “I won’t.”

Audrey gestured to Duke, who pulled Ginger out of the room.

She returned her attention to the crying woman across the table. “Where’s Ginger’s father?”

Jordan fought it but gave them the address. Nathan got on his radio and ordered officers to the address. He then glared at Jordan. “I should arrest you for kidnapping.”

“He came with us willingly. You know that.”

“She’s right,” Audrey agreed.

Nathan reluctantly nodded. Placing his hands on the table, he leaned towards Jordan. “You killed my son.”

“I was a child,” Jordan protested, defiant.

“That doesn’t matter. You willingly associate with those who did it.” Jordan pointedly looked at his tattoo. “I’m getting it removed. I’m done.”

Jordan stared at him. “Once you’re in, you’re in.”

Nathan looked unnerved at the threat.

 

Ginger and her father were reunited, and Duke volunteered to take the family to a safe place.

“At least they won’t be gone long. The Troubles will disappear the day after tomorrow,” Audrey told Nathan.

He leaned against the door to his truck. “Parker…”

“My whole time here, I wanted answers. I now know the when, the what, and the how. I’m the who. All I need is the why, and there is no getting that answer.” She smiled at him. “It’s a relief to know, Nathan. Really.” She bit her lip. “Can I have tomorrow off?”

“Of course.” He looked like he wanted to say more, but held back. She was grateful. Honestly, what was there to say?

In two days she was going to go into some barn and disappear.

 

 

 


	15. Chapter 15

The day before she was going to leave, she snuck out of bed and took Cookie to the beach. She probably should have spent the day with her friends, but, honestly, she wanted to be by herself. Facing one’s impending doom seemed like a task best done alone.

The strange thing was, she didn’t feel scared. That had faded a while ago into acceptance. This was the way that things were meant to happen. This was the way that they were always going to happen. Her story was not destined for a happy ending.

 

She returned to her apartment that evening to find it occupied. Duke, Claire, and Nathan were inside. Her table had been set for a poker game. Bowls of chips, dip, pretzels, and bottles of beer were nearby.

“What’s going on?”

“You spent all day alone, so we thought that you might like some company tonight,” Duke explained.

Audrey nodded. “Thank you.”

“Come on, then! I’m ready to beat all of you.” Nathan sat in one of the chairs and grabbed the bowl of pretzels.

Audrey shook her head and took her seat as Duke grabbed the deck to shuffle.

 

“I want to go alone tomorrow,” Audrey told them as they sat around talking about nothing after the game had ended. “You shouldn’t have to be there for it.”

“No,” Duke and Nathan said together.

“Guys—“

“They’re right, Audrey. You should have somebody there,” Claire told her.

Audrey knew it was futile to argue, so she reached down to scratch Cookie behind the ear. “Will you take him, Claire? He likes you.”

“Of course.”

 

They stayed up all night, and early the next morning Claire left with Cookie and all of the dog supplies. After some discussion, Audrey figured out that the Barn was probably located where the other Audrey had been found with no memories.

 

 

When Audrey, Duke, and Nathan arrived on Kick’em Jenny Neck, Audrey could feel that the Barn was already there. It was a force that caused an ice cold shiver down her spine. The closer she got to the clearing, the more fear filled her until she was almost shaking. Each footstep was more difficult to take than the last, and she had to stop for a moment to prepare herself.

 

There was the crack of a branch, and the small group turned around to find the Teagues brothers were following them.

“What are you doing here?” Audrey asked, torn between being pleased that they cared enough to come and confusion.

“I wanted to see you off,” Dave said. “You’ve been a good friend.” He seemed nervous. Beads of sweat had broken out on his forehead despite the fact that it was so cold they could see their breaths.

“Me too,” Vince added. He looked less nervous.

Audrey knew that there was no way she could make them go back, so she took a deep breath and walked to her fate.

 

 

The barn didn’t look menacing; it was just an ordinary, extremely weathered barn. A medium sized rectangle with no windows and double doors on the front.

Those doors opened and Agent Howard stepped out of the barn and left the door open. Inside, she did not see wood, hay, or tools. Instead, there was a long, white corridor that seemed to go on forever. The sight of it filled Audrey with a deep, deep dread.

Duke clung to her for a moment, and she turned in his arms.

“This is the way it has to be.”

“Twenty-seven years,” Duke reminded her. “You’ll be back.”

“Mmm.” It wouldn’t be her though. It would be somebody else. Jenny, or Megan, or—

_Mara_

Audrey winced and shook her head. “Remind me.” She stepped back and slipped off her ring. Placing it in his hand, she gave him a smile. “In twenty-seven years, remind me of this.”

He looked down at the pearl and nodded. “I will. I’ll be old and wrinkly, but I will.”

Audrey was about to say something, but one of the meteors flew overhead and hit a neighboring field. Time was running out.

 

She wanted to kiss Duke but knew that now was not the time. With a small at Nathan and the Teagues brothers, she walked up the rest of the hill to the barn. Howard was patiently waiting.

“I’m ready,” she told him.

Howard nodded and lifted the side of his jacket. Attached to his belt was a knife in a sheath. He pulled it out, and Audrey took an involuntary step back. Was this how it went? She literally died?

Howard flipped the knife and handed it to her, handle first. She hesitantly took it, startled by how light it was. “What’s this for? I thought I was supposed to go in there.” She gestured at the barn with the knife.

Howard didn’t reply. He walked past her, down the hill to her friends. Nathan and Duke looked confused. As she followed him, she saw Dave and Vince just look resigned.

They knew what was going on. They had seen it before.

And they hadn’t told her.

She shot them a glare and joined Howard. “Seriously, what’s going on?”

Another meteor flew overhead, and this one hit sounded like it hit somewhere in Haven.

“You fell in love.” He stated it as a fact.

“Yes. I did.” She fought to keep the anger out of her words. Why discuss this before she had to leave?

“Good. You did what you were meant to do.” He gestured to the knife. “You now have a choice to make.”

She felt an icy chill and almost dropped the weapon. Dave had turned away, shaking his head. Vince was simply watching everything. “What kind of choice?”

“You can sacrifice the one you love most and end the Troubles forever,” he motioned to Duke, “or you can go into the barn, sacrifice everything that makes you who you are, and stop the Troubles for twenty-seven years.”

Audrey stared at Howard, her brain not quite processing what she had just been told. She looked down at the knife and then over at Vince and Dave. “You knew. This is what you refused to tell me.”

Dave turned back to her. “Now do you know why we wouldn’t be at your wedding?”

Audrey closed her eyes and gripped the weapon. Was this really happening? What was the point?

_Punishment._

She winced again and felt someone take a hold of her hands. When she opened her eyes, Duke was holding the knife to his chest. “Do it.”

“Duke, what the—“ She tried to pull away.

“You can end the Troubles. But most importantly, you can stay you.”

Audrey stared at his hands holding the knife. “You would die for me?” she asked in disbelief.

“To keep you you? Yes.”

Audrey bit her lip and shook her head. Another meteor hit nearby, and two more passed over to land in Haven. She could see smoke rising up from the town.

“What is your choice, Audrey?”

“What if I chose neither?” she asked, defiant.

“Then everything you know, everyone you know, will be destroyed.” As if to prove his point, another meteor hit. “Now, choose.”

“Audrey, do it,” Duke demanded.

 

For a second, she imagined following through with his request. She could see her hand plunging the knife into his chest, past his ribs and into his heart. Severing the vital organ and letting the blood spill out over her hands and onto the ground. His life fading and the Troubles with it.

How could she live with herself?

There really wasn’t a choice to make. Audrey pulled from Duke’s grasp and dropped the knife. “I’ll go into the barn.”

“Audrey, no!” Nathan shouted, taking a step forward. Duke held him back with one hand. “How can you let her do this?”

Duke turned and pushed Nathan away. “It’s her choice!”

“If you really love her—“ Nathan started.

“Do you really want me to kill Duke, Nathan? Do you think that I could live with that?” Audrey demanded.

Nathan shook his head, looking at Duke apologetically. “No.”

“You’re sure that this is your choice?” Howard asked Audrey.

“I’m not going to kill my husband…or anyone. Yeah, I’m sure.” Audrey answered.

Without another word or glance back at those that had become her friends and family, she marched up the hill and into the barn. She could hear Nathan and Duke arguing. As the door was closing, she heard another shout and turned, seeing Nathan rushing at Howard, the knife in his hand.

 

 

The door closed, and the seams faded into the wall. Audrey, panicked, ran her hands over the wall but felt nothing but smooth…whatever it was made of.

She took a deep breath and tried to calm herself. There was nothing she could do. She had made this decision. There had been no way that she was going to kill—

Wincing, she rubbed her forehead as she felt an ache begin.

 Who was she supposed to kill?

 

The barn was not what she had expected. The hallway looked to be about eight feet wide, but ran off for as far as she could see in both directions. She looked to the left, bit her lip, and then decided to head to the right. As she walked, every few feet a wall would fall, forcing her to keep going. Scenes of her life played on the walls. Things she remembered, especially her time in Haven. Yet every time a wall fell, those memories felt further and further away.

Her headache grew.

She walked for what seemed like hours.

Her steps became hesitant as she looked around the hallway. She placed a hand on the wall. It felt cool to the touch, with a faint tremor.

What was this place?

 

She sat down and placed her head on her knees.

Why was she here?

The last thing she remembered was…was…

It was all blurry.

Her breathing became harsh and her heart pounded as she fought to remember something. Anything.

 

“Hello.”

She raised her head. A man was standing across from her, leaning against the wall. The images had faded, and the walls had returned to plain white.

“Hello,” she replied, standing up. “Who are you?”

“I’m William. Who are you?” His stance was casual, but she sensed urgency in him.

The answer was not there. She looked down at herself, taking in the jeans, grey shirt, and brown jacket. They provided no clue. She concentrated, and eventually it came to her. “I’m…I’m…Audrey.”

But who was Audrey? The name held no meaning.

It had to have meaning. Names were important. Audrey –

What was her last name? Her mind felt blank. She struggled to find an answer, concentrating hard. Then, in the deepest part of her brain she felt anger. It was deep, all-encompassing anger that had nothing to do with her. She cowered back from it.

William narrowed his eyes and stepped up to her. “You’re still in there, aren’t you?”

She moved away from him. “What do you mean?”

He opened his mouth, and the walls violently shook. A hole appeared in the wall and through it they could see blackness. They looked down the hall and she saw that there was a doorway. Grabbing her hand, he pulled her towards it

 

They entered a room. In the center of the floor was a glowing circle, and the opposite wall had a door. William led them around the circle.

“You need to go though there. This place is dying.”

“Dying? Where are we?” She had the feeling this was not the way that things were supposed to happen.

“A prison.” He grinned. “Well, it won’t be for much longer. But if you stay, you will die too.”

“What about you?”

“I’ll find you. I promise.”

She slowly turned the knob. The door flew open and wind blew her hair and clothes back. There wasn’t another room on the other side. There wasn’t even the black and stars. Instead, there were clouds. They were a swirling green, white, and silver mass.

“What is this?” she demanded, turning to him. She took a few steps back and accidentally stepped in the circle. She was frozen in place as a bright white light fell from the ceiling and covered her.

“No!” William shouted, trying to push her out of the way. A powerful zap of electricity shoved him back.

She couldn’t hold back a scream as images bombarded her brain. Family, birthdays, schooling, dating. A whole lifetime. Closing her eyes, she tried to process it. Everything about her was changing...

 

The whole place shook, knocking her out of the circle. She fell to the floor and looked around. She was in a white room “Where the hell am I?” She struggled to her feet.

“No…” a man wailed, looking her up and down.

She glanced at herself and saw her denim skirt, boots, and black tank top. Twirling her long, highlighted, blond hair nervously in her fingers, she looked around. “What’s going on?”

“You have to go. Now,” the handsome man ordered, pushing her towards a door. She didn’t like what she saw on the other side.

“Whoa! You expect me to go through there? Are you nuts?”

He kept pushing. She tried to resist, but there was nothing for her to get a good footing on. “If you stay, you’ll die.”

The room shook, and a part of the far wall tore away, revealing more of the black. “All right. I believe you. What do I have to do?” She licked her lips and studied the clouds.

“Jump straight down. You’ll end up where you’re supposed to be.”

She nodded. “Okay.”

Gripping the doorjamb, she looked down at the swirling mass. Taking a deep breath, Lexie DeWitt closed her eyes and stepped off the edge of the door, into nothing.


	16. Chapter 16

** Part Three: Lexie **

**“Tempt not a desperate man.”**

**Romeo and Juliet (Act V, Sc. III)**

 

Lexie DeWitt was having a really shitty day.

It had started out normal. She woke, ate, went to work. Then suddenly she found herself in a strange white room with a handsome man telling her that she needed to step into nothing.

After that she found herself in a field. Other people were there, and they were pointing guns at each other.Slowly, Lexie stood, raising her hands in the air. “Uh…sorry for interrupting. I’ll just be on my way.” She turned and saw the large body of water in the distance. Come to think of it, the landscape was too green to be Nevada. “Whoa.”

“You’re not going anywhere,” a woman with straight black hair and black gloves exclaimed. She shoved a handgun into Lexie’s hands. “Kill him. Now.” She pointed at a tall man with long black hair.

Lexie dropped the gun in surprise. “I’m not killing anyone.”

“Jordan, stop,” an elderly man ordered.

“No! She can make my Trouble go away.” Jordan waved her rifle. “Pick it up and shoot him.”

Lexie sighed as understanding dawned. “I see. Look, I’ve had my share of dating asses. You probably expected better, what with being the local Mafia leader’s daughter. But I promise, killing him will not help. What you need is a bottle of Tequila and some male strippers.” Everybody, especially Jordan and the target of her wrath stared at her in horror.

“I don’t even know where to begin with how wrong that is,” the tall man said.

Jordan seemed to shake her head in agreement before realizing who she was agreeing with. “Stop stalling, Audrey, and kill Duke. End the Troubles forever.”

“Who’s Audrey? My name is Lexie.”

“You’re lying. You’re trying to save him and it won’t work.”

“She’s right. That’s not Audrey,” Duke said.

“Thank you,” Lexie told him.

“Stop it! Look at her! It’s Audrey; it has to be,” Jordan sounded so desperate that it unnerved Lexie. What had she fallen in the middle of?

“No, you look, Jordan. Would Audrey wear something like that? Did you ever see her use so much makeup? Did she have that slight accent?” a man with short brown hair, who had remained quiet through most of this standoff pointed out.

“Not to mention the body language and hair,” Duke added. “As much as I wish it was, that is not her.”

Jordan let out a growl of frustration and then composed herself. “That doesn’t matter. She was Audrey so it might still work.”

Lexie grew frustrated with the idiot in front of her and took a step forward. Jordan firmed her grip on the rifle. “Oh, stop it. If you were going to shoot me you would have.” Lexie looked the woman in the eyes and was startled by the pain and desperation she saw. “I’m sorry for whatever is going on, but I am not this Audrey person, and I am not going to kill anybody.”

Jordan moved the gun from Lexie to Duke. “Fine. Maybe he just needs to die in general. I’ll shoot him.”

 

The tension level in the field increased and the quiet man stepped forward. “Wait. You know that won’t work. I have an idea, though. What if Lexie fell in love with Duke? Then she could kill him.”

“That will take too long,” Jordan whined.

“It’s the only option we have,” the elderly man with curly hair said.

Jordan nodded and lowered her weapon. Glaring at the elderly man, she turned and stormed off towards a line of cars.

Lexie tried to take a step and her legs gave out. Collapsing to the ground, she let out a slightly hysterical laugh.

“Are you all right?” the quiet man asked, kneeling.

“Uh, no. I have had the weirdest day ever. Well, weirdest where I have not taken anything.” Lexie let him help her up. “I’m Lexie DeWitt.”

He seemed sad. “I’m Nathan Wuornos. That’s Duke Crocker and this is Jennifer Mason. She helped us find you.”

“I wish I could say nice to meet you, but I’d be lying.” She looked around. “Where the hell am I?”

Nathan almost smiled. “Welcome to Haven, Maine.”

Lexie felt weak again. “Maine… You have any food here? Alcohol would be welcome too.”

 

Duke owned a bar and grill, something that made Lexie very happy. He had the cook make her a burger and fries while he had a conference with the elderly man, who was named Vince, and Nathan. Lexie ate while Jennifer filled her in on the town and events that led to everybody being in the park.

“Normally I would ask what everybody was on and where I could get some, but considering I just jumped from what is apparently an interdimensional barn and landed in Maine, I’m believing it.” Lexie pulled the onions off her burger. “I don’t believe that I was this Audrey, though.”

“Do you have a twin?” Jennifer asked, reaching into her bag and handing her three photos. The women in them were from different eras and had different hairstyles, but, otherwise, they all looked the same.

They looked like her.

Lexie dropped the photos. “What the hell is this?”

“Sarah Vernon, Lucy Ripley, and Audrey Parker. They’re past versions of you.”

She could feel Jennifer watching her as she studied the images. “That can’t be true because I’m only 31.  This is from the fifties.”

“It’s true.”

Lexie scoffed but something deep inside was telling her that Jennifer was right.

 

The men returned. “We’ve reached an agreement,” Vince said. “Lexie, you’re going to stay here in Haven until you fall in love with Duke and kill him.”

Lexie burst out laughing. “I’m not a cop, but I’m pretty sure that kidnapping is illegal.”

“You have no idea how ironic that statement is,” Duke muttered.

“You’ll find that things are different here in Haven. I wouldn’t try to leave.” Vince’s voice was so cold that she almost shivered.

Lexie smiled instead. “I’ll stay here in Haven, but only because I want to.” She sat back and crossed her legs, looking him in the eyes. “And for the record? I’ve been threatened by far worse than an old man. You don’t scare me.”

Vince chuckled. “No matter who you are, you always have that fire, that strength. We’ll be keeping an eye on you.”

“I just threatened a Mafia boss. I’m a dead woman.” Lexie said, her false confidence disappearing when Vince was out of sight.

Nathan chuckled. “Actually, he owns the local paper. He’s not Mafia.”

“Except that he kind of is,” Duke countered.

 

Duke let Lexie into the apartment above the restaurant. There was a slightly musty, unused smell to the place. It was beyond fully furnished. In addition to furniture, there were personal decorations and clothes.

“Somebody lives here?”

Duke took a few steps inside and she could tell that he was upset. “It’s Audrey’s place. Anyway, here’s the kitchen, living room, dining room, and back there is the bedroom and bathroom.”

Lexie walked around the apartment. “It’s nice, but I can’t afford it. I have no job. I have no ID to get a job.”

“What did you do before?”

“Many things, but my last job was bartender.”

“All right. You’ll work downstairs.” He paused. “Jennifer told you about the Troubles?”

“Yeah. They sound crazy but then so does everything else.”

“Audrey helped people with them. You’ll probably be asked to do the same.”

“I’m not Audrey.” Lexie told him, firmly. She had the feeling that she would be saying that a lot until she found a way to leave this crazy place.

Duke looked her up and down. “Believe me, I know.”

He left and Lexie tried to fight the feeling of inadequacy that welled up inside of her.


	17. Chapter 17

_She carefully made her way out of the cabin onto the deck. The rusted metal was cold and scratchy on her bare feet. A man was sitting in a chair reading a newspaper. Pointing her gun at him, she spoke._

_“You took my clothes.”_

_The man lowered his newspaper and looked at her. “I laundered your clothes. And saved your life. Which is a really weird combination when you think about it. If you think about it.”_

_Despite her irritation at him, she couldn’t help but feel a little attraction._

 

Lexie awoke and rubbed her face. What the hell kind of dream was that? Why would she be dreaming about meeting Duke in a way that hadn’t happened? Tossing the blanket off, she got out of bed and looked at her surroundings. She was in Audrey’s apartment. It was a little too cheerful and coastal themed for her. When Duke had left, she'd started going through Audrey's things to see if she could find out more about her. As far as she could tell, Audrey was very boring. There weren't enough personal possessions to tell Lexie much of anything.

Since she had nothing else to choose from, Lexie wore some of Audrey’s clothes. The fact that they fit perfectly disturbed her. It added evidence to Jennifer’s claim.

 

There was no food in the place, so Lexie went downstairs to the Grey Gull. Duke and Jennifer were there, but they stopped talking when she approached them.

“Way to make a woman feel self-conscious,” Lexie said, sitting on a stool next to Jennifer. She rested her arms on the bar. “We need to talk, Duke.”

He looked wary. “About?”

“I gotsta get paid,” she claimed with a grin and then grew serious. “I need food. TP. Money for a bus.”

Duke stared at her. “You get paid every two weeks. Rent is due by the fourth. You can eat your meals here until you get your check. They’ll come out of your pay.” He paused. “I have Audrey’s car. I suppose you can use it.”

Lexie watched him go into the kitchen. “He’s not very grateful, is he?”

“About what?” Jennifer asked.

“I’m supposed to kill him, and I haven’t. You’d think that he’d treat me a little better.”

“He’s hurting. Duke and Audrey were in love.”

Lexie snorted. “Really? Wow… He didn’t look that gullible.”

Jennifer studied her. “Gullible?”

“Yeah. The whole love thing? It doesn’t exist. It’s just an excuse people give so that society will accept that they’re having sexy fun.”

“They were married though.”

“‘Oh, I’m so in love with him! I want to spend my life with him!’ sounds so much better than ‘He’s really, really good in bed, and I want to enjoy that for a while’.”

“You’ve never been in love?”

Lexie shook her head. “I’m looking for a decent guy to have fun with, but love? That’s for the weak.”

Jennifer drew in a sharp breath, and Lexie saw that she was really disturbed. “Sorry to burst your bubble.”

Duke interrupted them by handing Lexie a breakfast wrap. “We have to go. There’s a Trouble.”

 

 

“He switched bodies with you,” Lexie told Duke that evening. He was closing up the Gull for the night, and Lexie was helping. Well, more like supervising.

“He did. It’s not the strangest thing to happen to me," Duke replied.

“Why does anybody still live here?”

“I keep asking myself that every day. Are you going to do your job or not?” He set a towel and cleanser on the bar.

She started to wipe down the tables. “I didn’t know I was starting today. Do I still get paid if I have to run off to help with the Troubled?”

Duke growled and stormed off into the kitchen.

 

Lexie finished cleaning and was going around stacking chairs upside down on the tables when she heard footsteps on the deck. A moment later, a man stepped into the room.

It was the same man that had been in the barn with her.

“Oh my god! You’re here.” Lexie hurried up to the man and saw that he looked shaky and confused. “You made it out too.”

“Who’s this?” Duke asked, hurrying out of the kitchen.

“He was in the barn place with me. He’s the one who convinced me to jump through the door,” Lexie explained. “How’d you get out?”

“Out of where? I spent the night in an abandoned warehouse and walked into town. I heard a rumor about another newcomer and I came see if maybe it was someone who knew me.” Lexie motioned for the man to sit.

“What’s your name?” Duke asked.

“I’m William,” the man answered. “Who are you?”

“I’m Lexie DeWitt, and this is Duke Crocker.” Lexie answered.

“How did you end up in the barn?” Duke asked, suspicious.

“Barn? I don’t know what you mean.”

Duke crossed his arms. “She says you convinced her to jump. How’d you know that was a good idea?”

Lexie began to get irritated. Why was he asking so many questions?

“I don’t know what you’re talking about.”

Duke was relentless. “What do you remember before the barn?”

“Look, you need to lay the hell off. He’s been through a lot and is probably freaking out. You can get your answers some other time,” Lexie told Duke.

“I’m just trying to figure out—“

“Figure out another time.”

“Can I get some water? It’s a long walk back,” William asked.

“Back where?”

“The warehouse.” At her incredulous look, he winced. “I have no ID and no way to pay for anything.”

“You can stay with me,” Lexie told him.

“What? No. No way. Are you crazy? You don’t know this guy. He could be a serial killer rapist cannibal for all we know!” Duke exclaimed.

“Are you any of those things?” Lexie asked William.

“Not that I’m aware of,” William answered. “Look, I don’t want to cause any problems.”

“You’re not.” Lexie crossed her arms. “Jennifer is staying in your spare room, and you knew her, what, three days?”

“That’s different,” Duke claimed.

“You don’t think I can protect myself.” Lexie slowly grinned. “In kickboxing I hold one of the highest ranks, and I also know karate. Satisfied?”

Duke glared but seemed intimidated. “No. Why do you think you can trust this guy?”

That made Lexie pause. She didn’t know why. Something deep inside was telling her that she could. There was no reasoning behind it. Duke would never accept that though. She gave him her best playful grin. “Look, this isn’t the first guy I’ve invited back to my place. I appreciate your concern though.”

Duke could tell that there was no changing her mind, so he walked off in disgust. Lexie gestured to William. “Come on. I live upstairs.”

 

“So, this is it. I hope you don’t mind the sofa, though it’s probably better than a dirty floor," Lexie said, letting them into the apartment.

He hesitantly entered the apartment and looked around. “It’s nice.”

“I guess.” She gestured to the kitchen. “There’s no food, but there is water. Bathroom is over there.”

“I don’t remember anything,” he said quietly. “Just my name. I don’t remember anything in the Barn, or before.”

“That’s okay. I do, and, if it wasn’t for you, I probably would have died there. Honestly, it’s nice to not be the only one who is new to all of this.”

“Why do you remember when I don’t?” He sounded so lost.

“I don’t know. We’ll find that out though.” She walked into her bedroom and grabbed a robe and a towel. “There’s soap and shampoo in the bathroom. I’m afraid I don’t have anything that will fit you, so here’s this. Washer and dryer are over there. You can wash your stuff overnight if you want.”

He took the items and went into the bathroom. She left sheets and a blanket on the sofa and got into bed. She was asleep within minutes.


	18. Chapter 18

_She walked down the sidewalk, her attention mostly on the tablet in her hands. Her mother had assigned her readings about the latest law that the counsel was planning on passing. Their control over sector 15 was slipping, and this law would increase the taxes on the people living there. Poorer people were easier to control._

_She was pressing the button to go to the next page when she crashed into someone. “Watch where you’re going!” she demanded._

_“I was.” She looked up from her tablet to see that she had run into a man. He had very blue eyes and brown hair, and he seemed to be around her age. Her heart began to race. “You were the one who wasn’t paying attention.”_

_She cleared her throat and pushed her hair behind her ear with her free hand. “Sorry.”_

_“Don’t be. Having a beautiful woman crash into me is not a problem.”_

_She rolled her eyes. “Okay. Well, I have to go.”_

_“Wait. Can I at least know your name?”_

_“I’m Mara.”_

_“William.” He held out his hand, and she took it. There was an almost electrical feel when they touched._

 

Lexie awoke with a gasp to find William standing just in the doorway of her bedroom.

“I’m sorry to wake you. Where’s the dryer?”

She noticed that he had an armful of damp clothing. She sat up and tried to make sense of his question. “What?”

“The dryer? I figured out the wash but I couldn’t find—“

“Oh. Right. I think it’s one of those two in one things.” She got out of bed and went to the machine. “Yeah. If you press these buttons, it will dry everything.”

He started the machine and she noticed what he was wearing. He had the robe on, but it was too short, so he had wrapped the towel around his waist. She couldn’t help but laugh.

“Hey. No fair mocking the clothes-less amnesiac guy,” he said, but he was smiling. He had a nice smile.

“Sorry.”

“No, you’re not.”

“Not really, no.”

He sobered a little. “Do we know each other from before this Barn thing? Why am I so comfortable with you?”

“I don’t remember you.” Although, if Jennifer were right, her memories weren't her own but another Lexie's. “But I’m comfortable with you too.”

 

There was a knock on the door, and Lexie found that it was Duke and Nathan. She stepped onto the porch and pulled the door closed behind her.

“Everything all right?” Duke asked.

“I’m alive,” she told him pointedly. “So, Jennifer says that I was Audrey. I don’t really believe it but…did Audrey ever have dreams?” She nervously played with her hair.

“What kind of dreams?” Nathan asked.

She described the dreams to them. “But they were different than normal dreams. The one about Duke was like…it was like I was watching a movie almost? It was all images and no connection. But the one with William was less like a dream and more like a memory. It felt like I was experiencing it but I wasn’t me, if that makes sense?”

“Audrey was briefly able to access memories of the personalities before her. It gave her headaches and nosebleeds though.”

“I haven’t had those.”

“Maybe because you were asleep so you weren’t trying,” Duke said.

“Maybe.”

“What’s more important is the fact that this William guy knows more than he is letting on. He might not even have amnesia.”

“No, I don’t believe that. He genuinely seems like he can’t remember.”

“Why are you defending him so much?” Duke demanded, his voice raised.

The door opened and William stepped out. The men took in what he was wearing and her pajama clad form and she could tell they weren’t pleased. Lexie raised an eyebrow and let them speculate. “Is everything okay?”

“I’m Detective Nathan Wuornos from the Haven PD.”

William looked alarmed. “I haven’t done anything wrong, have I?”

“No. He’s a friend of Duke’s, and they’re checking on me, right?” Lexie asked.

Nathan smiled. “I wanted to invite William to the station. We can get his fingerprints, check some databases, and hopefully find out who he is.”

“That’d be great. Uh.” He looked back at the doors, and she knew he was thinking about his clothes.

“Duke gave me the keys to Audrey’s car. We’ll be in later, all right?” Lexie told them. William look relieved.

“Thank you.” He went back in the house.

“Are you sure that you can trust this man?” Nathan asked.

“Yes. I don’t know how, but I think we’re connected in a way. We were both in the barn. There has to be a good reason,” she explained.

“Maybe he’s the one who put you in there.”

Lexie knew that was wrong. “No. It’s something else.”

 

They left, and Lexie went back inside. William was on the sofa flipping through a magazine. “William, does the name Mara mean anything to you?”

“Mara?” He looked up eagerly. “Is someone asking about me?”

Lexie shook her head, disappointed. “No. Never mind. I’m going to go get ready so we can leave as soon as your clothes are dry.”

It wasn’t until she was in the shower that she realized that he hadn’t really answered her question.

 

 

Nathan was a lot more pleasant to William than Duke had been. He asked questions but in a non-intimidating way. William gladly gave his prints, and Nathan promised to get back to him as soon as there was something. Lexie could tell Nathan wasn't pleased that William was staying with her, but he didn't press.

When they arrived at the Gull for lunch, Duke decided to give Lexie an advance on her pay so she could go shopping. Lexie suspected that Duke didn’t want William hanging around, so she took  him with her to the grocery store.

 

In the parking lot of the supermarket, Lexie was ambushed by Jordan, who pushed her into the door of Audrey’s car. “What the hell do you think you’re doing?”

Lexie held up her hand to let an alarmed William know that she was all right. Outwardly, she seemed calm, but inside she was seething. Who did Jordan think she was? “I’m going shopping. What are you doing?”

“You’re supposed to be falling in love with Duke not shacking up with this guy!”

Lexie smirked. “Not the first time I’ve had two guys.” Jordan looked incredulous. Lexie narrowed her eyes and spoke softly. “Look, I’m going to tell you this only once. I don’t love Duke. I never will love Duke. Now, this guy? He was in the barn with me. I’m trying to figure out what that means. Maybe he can help me end the Troubles. Maybe he won’t. But you need to get the fuck out of my face.”

Jordan help up her hand and Lexie remembered Jennifer’s information about Jordan’s Trouble.

If she really had been Audrey, she was immune.

Lexie smiled as Jordan came to the same conclusion and suddenly became teary eyed. “You don’t know what it’s like to not be able to be touched.”

“No. I don’t. You don’t know what it’s like to be told that everything you remember is a lie, and you’ve been at least three other people. If what I’ve been told is true, almost everybody in this town has issues. I will try and solve them in my way.” She placed emphasis on the last two words.

Jordan began to walk away.

“Jordan? Don't do anything to Duke or Nathan.” Jordan narrowed her eyes and nodded.

 

When Jordan was gone, William let out a deep breath. “That was intense. The way that you stood up to her, though, was amazing.”

“Not really. She just wanted to scare me into doing what she wants. When I showed no fear she had nothing left.”

“You’re still special for doing it.”

Nobody had ever called her special before. It was nice. “Thank you.”

“So I’m supposed to help you stop these Troubles?” He asked as they entered the doors of the supermarket.

“Eventually. I want to find out about you and me first,” she told him, feeling no guilt that she was putting her problem first.


	19. Chapter 19

Three days passed, and Lexie found that settling into life in Haven was easier than she thought it would be. She began working at the Gray Gull, not only as a bartender but also as a waitress. It was annoying at first when people treated her like a freak and didn’t want her waiting on them. Later, she saw Duke speaking to them, and their behavior changed. Now she was treated with pity. When Lexie asked Duke what he'd said, he told her he was spreading the news that she was Audrey, but she had amnesia. Lexie wasn’t happy about it, but there was no way anyone would believe the truth.

Her friendship with William grew. To her surprise, living with a complete stranger was easier than she would have guessed. Lexie liked the company and looked forward to seeing him. Even though he didn’t remember anything, he was nice to be around. His dry, often self-deprecating sense of humor was amusing, and, while he remained shy, he was showing more of his personality.  
When Lexie was working or trying to help Nathan and Duke with the Troubled people, William spent his time at the Haven library looking for any clue as to where he might have come from. His latest plan was to look through books about other states to see if any of them jogged his memory. So far, none had.

Dream memories continued to plague her sleep. In some she was a nurse, in others she was stuck in the eighties. The more frequent ones featured Nathan and Duke and were probably from Audrey. She didn’t ask them if what she was dreaming had actually happened.

 

 

Lexie talked down her first Troubled person by herself, and she was feeling quite proud. Jack and Aiden Driscoll had a Trouble that created a bubble of pressure. It crushed anything its path. Aiden had panicked, and his Trouble had nearly destroyed a good portion of the town, including the hospital. Lexie had managed to calm him down, and the pressure had dissipated.

Nathan and Duke were not as happy as she was about the Trouble being solved. They, along with Jennifer, gathered on Duke’s boat to discuss the incident.

“Aiden and Jack are Driscolls. That family isn’t Troubled. That means new Troubles are appearing,” Nathan explained to Lexie.

“Wait, I thought that Troubles began a long, long time ago. How can there be new ones?” Jennifer asked. She looked at Lexie as though Lexie would have the answer.

“Hey, I’ve only been here a week,” Lexie reminded her. “You have been teaching me about these Trouble things.” Jennifer had been giving Lexie a crash-course in understanding the Troubles. She had even gone with Lexie on a case.

“So what do we do?” Nathan asked.

“We keep an eye out for people who have mysterious glowing handprints on them?” Lexie suggested. The Driscoll brothers had awoken from a night of celebratory drinking not only with Troubles, but handprints too.

“You’re the only one who can see them.” Duke reminded her.

“You could put out a public safety notice. Advise people to be on guard and stay in groups when they go out at night,” Jennifer suggested.

“That’s actually a good idea. We can’t connect it to the Troubles, though. There’s already heightened tension since the storm,” Nathan agreed, his tone slightly guilty.

Nathan had told her that the meteor storm six months ago was when Audrey Parker had gone into the barn. The storm ended that same day, and the Troubles should have ended with it.

They hadn’t, and Lexie now suspected that Nathan had something to do with it.

“I’ll talk to Vince and Dave,” Jennifer promised.

 

A car pulled up next to Duke’s, and William got out. He walked down the dock and raised his hand in an unsure greeting. Nathan returned the greeting, but Duke crossed his arms.

“What’s he doing here?” Duke asked.

Lexie held up her new, cheap cell phone. “I texted him so that he could pick me up.” She then noticed that Jennifer was staring at William in amazement. “What? Do you know him?”

Jennifer licked her lips and shook herself. “No. Who is he?” Her voice was very, very quiet.

“William. He was in the barn with me and now he has amnesia so we’re trying to figure out who he is.”

“Really?” Jennifer asked, doubtful.

“Yeah. You were connected to the barn, right? That’s what you explained to me. You don’t—“

“I was connected to the Barn, not anyone inside. I told you, I could…feel…it. I was able to tell that something was wrong. That’s all,” Jennifer explained, more defensively than Lexie thought was necessary.

Lexie felt that this explanation was very flimsy, and waned to ask more. Jennifer crossed her arms and Lexie knew that Jennifer would say nothing more on the subject.

Putting her hands in the pockets of her jacket, Lexie took a few steps towards the stairs. “So that’s it? You just put out the warning and hope for the best?”

“That’s life in Haven,” Nathan told her. “Keep an eye out for you know what.”

“Yeah.” She joined William on the dock.

“Lexie? You did well today by being yourself. Don’t let anyone try to turn you into someone you’re not.” Jennifer called, her expression intense.

Lexie wrapped her arms around herself, suddenly uncomfortable. “Okay.”

 “Lexie? Thirty minutes.” Duke reminded her that she was due to start her shift at the Gull.

 

“So, you saved the day?” William asked as they were driving to the Gull.

“I did. All of this?” She nodded towards the town. “It would be squished if it wasn’t for me.” It was one of the few times in her life that she could truly be proud of herself. “Well, the others did help.” She would have been squished too if it wasn’t for Duke’s deep sea diving suit.

“Told you you were special,” William said, smug. He sobered. “The others aren’t happy that I’m here, are they?”

“Not really,” she admitted.

“What if there’s a good reason? What if I’m not a good man? I could have done something horrible. I could have hurt people.”

“What?” She pulled off the road into an empty parking lot. “Where’s this coming from? Did you remember something?”

“No. But there has to be a reason why the others don’t like me.”

“I think Nathan likes you. As for Duke…” Lexie took a deep breath. “Duke and Audrey were married. I think that Duke is having a problem with seeing someone who looks like Audrey with another man. I think his imagination is working overtime.” At William’s confusion she grinned. “He thinks we’re making sweet, sweet love.”

“I’m an amnesiac living on your sofa.”

Lexie shrugged, not admitting out loud that she was taking some pleasure in leaving Duke in the dark. “Look, I can’t explain it, but somehow I know that you’re a good man. Don’t worry, and don’t let them make you doubt yourself.” She reached out to touch his hand and was zapped. A white spark appeared in the space between their hands. Lexie jumped back in surprise. “Uh, what was that?”

“I have no idea.” He looked as surprised as she was.

“That hasn’t happened before…”

“You’ve never tried to touch me before.”

Timidly, she reached out her hand, palm up. After a moment, William moved to place his palm on hers. About a half an inch before they would have touched, sparks of what looked like electricity appeared, one after another, arcing between their hands.

Lexie let out an astonished laugh. “This isn’t normal.”

“It doesn’t hurt,” he said in wonder.

It was quite the opposite. Every nerve in her hand was tingling. She wondered what would happen if they actually touched.

Pulling her hand away, she cleared her throat. “Okay, enough of whatever that is.”

“I think it’s evidence that the Barn is not the only way that we’re connected,” he told her slowly.

 

Lexie’s shift at the Gull didn’t go very well. She rapidly developed a headache that made her irritable. There was little bartending to do, but there were plenty of tables to waitress.

“Table four wants waffles,” she said, giving the ticket to the cook.

“I knew it was a good idea to offer those all day.” Duke said happily. “They’re going to be a Gull specialty, thanks to my secret recipe, of course.”

Lexie snorted and began to fill glasses with soda. “Specialty? They’re just waffles. The secret is in the syrup.”

Duke dropped the pen he had been writing with. “What?”

Lexie looked up. “What what?”

“You just said, ‘the secret is in the syrup’. How could you know that?”

Lexie’s head really hurt now. “You told me?”

“No, I never said that to you. I said it to Audrey. Once.”

Lexie sighed and set the drinks on her tray. “You probably said it absently. I got tables.”

Throughout the rest of the shift she could feel Duke watching her. She avoided him as much as possible. He had to have told her about the waffles before. There was no other explanation.

 

When her shift ended, Duke started to approach her, but she hurried out the door and up the staircase. Another waitress had promised to close up.

William would be waiting for her, but she wasn’t ready to talk about the latest development. She wasn’t ready to talk about anything. A bottle of tequila and reality TV sounded better.

She flopped into a deck chair and placed her head in her hands. What had happened to her life? True, it had never been great. She had a crappy childhood and wild teens and twenties. When she ended up at the Oatley Tap Room, things had started to improve. She fit in, and had a good friend. Was Rhonda missing her?

Then she ended up here and, when things were starting to improve, it went to hell.

Was this going to be a continuing pattern? Wasn’t she allowed any happiness?

 

When she finally entered the apartment, William looked up from his book and stood. “Hi.”

“Hi.” She took off her jacked and tossed it on the table. “Look, can we not talk about what happened yet? Or talk about anything at all?”

“Sure.”

She fixed some microwave popcorn and grabbed a bottle of tequila. Picking the worst reality show she could find, she settled on the sofa.

“I’m kind of glad that I don’t remember this,” William told her.

Lexie chuckled and rested her head on the arm of the sofa. “Hey, this is quality TV!”

Before the show was over, she was fast asleep.


	20. Chapter 20

_As she stared down at the tablet in front of her, she could barely suppress the nervousness. Once she signed this, her life would change forever._

_She hadn’t expected to make it to this point. Everything was against them, even the law. She fought, but it had seemed like a losing battle.  Then, for the first time in her life, her mother had come through for her. Charlotte had pulled some strings and called in some favors._

_“Place your thumb here, please,” the official stated, sounding bored._

_She pressed her thumb in the small square, probably harder than needed._

_“Now you,” the official told William._

_After William did the same, the official entered some data. “You data has been changed. Congratulations. Next!”_

_When they were outside and out of the way of passing people, she kissed him. “We did it. We’re married.”_

_“I love you,” he told her._

_“I love you, too.”_

 

Lexie rolled over and immediately found herself on the floor. Groaning, she sat up. Why was she on the living room floor?

“Are you all right?” William asked, coming out of the bedroom.

“I’m fine. When did we switch?” she asked, trying to stand up.

“You fell asleep watching TV, and I didn’t want to wake you. Do you need help?” He reached out a hand, but she didn’t take it.

“Probably not a good idea,” she said softly. Bracing herself on the sofa, she stood. “We don’t know what would happen.”

He looked disappointed but respected her wishes.

 

Lexie thought about her dream while she and William silently ate the breakfast he made. What could it mean? Once again, it felt different than the others. The dream was like an actual memory, but that was impossible. She had just met William a week ago. They were not married, and Lexie had no desire to marry him, or anyone.

“I think I should find my own place. Maybe stay at the hotel or something,” William informed her.

“What? Why?” She felt a rising sense of panic.

“Things have changed. I’m so grateful for your help, but I don’t want you to be uncomfortable because of me.” He sounded sad, and she stood.

“I don’t want you to go.” Never mind the fact that he still had no money or a job.

“You don’t?”

“No. I like having you here,” she said shyly, “and not just because of whatever is going on. I like you,”

“You do?” He stood.

“Yeah. Is that bad?”

“No. I feel the same. I just didn’t want to make things any weirder than they are.”

“I don’t think that’s possible.” He reached out towards her, and when his hands were right above her arms, the sparks appeared. They intensified her skin, causing goosebumps. She smiled and looked at him. “I don’t think this is a bad thing.”

“No. It’s not.” He ran his hands above her arms to her shoulders.

As the sparks moved up her skin, her heart began to race. A part of her was afraid of this incredibly strange thing that was happening. Another part, this one deep inside, was telling her that there was nothing to worry about. This was supposed to happen. She stepped closer. “Touch me?”

He slowly placed his hands on her arms and the sparks intensified and left her with an almost giddy feeling. Impulsively, she cupped his face, and kissed him. He returned the kiss, and she began to unbutton his shirt.

“You sure?” he asked, running his hands up and down her arms. The sensation of his skin against hers, combined with the tingling of the spark, put any doubt to rest.

“Yes,” she replied, pulling him away from the table towards the bedroom.

 

 

_She held the newborn in her arms, rocking it to sleep. It closed its eyes and yawned. Mara smiled._

_“She out yet?” William whispered, sitting down on the bed next to her._

_“Almost,” she replied._

_“Want me to take her so that you can get more sleep?”_

_“I don’t want to let her go." She hadn’t expected to love the baby so much. It almost consumed her._

_“You don’t have to,” he replied, reaching over and taking the baby’s hand._

_There was a crash nearby and the baby awoke fully, releasing a high-pitched cry._

 

“Baby’s crying,” Lexie muttered, pulling the sheet up over her shoulders.

“You don’t have a baby, Lexie.”

She opened her eyes and sat up, looking around, confused. Her head ached and she clutched it with one hand. “What?”

William was sitting at the foot of the bed, fully dressed. “You don’t have a baby. What baby was crying?”

“The baby…” she trailed off, confused. “My baby. I was holding it…”

“You don’t have a baby. Whose baby was it?”

She didn’t have a baby. If there was one thing Lexie was careful of, it was never getting knocked up.

_Babies are a good thing. You’re giving life._

There had been a baby. She could feel it.  But Lexie didn’t have a baby, and Audrey didn’t have a baby. Lucy? No. Sarah?

_“I’m pregnant,” she told them. The two men didn’t immediately condemn her like most people would. Instead they looked incredibly sad._

_“The father will marry you?” Vince asked._

_“No. He can’t. He hasn’t been born yet.”_

“Sarah. No. It wasn’t Sarah. Sarah had a boy.”

How did she know that?

Reaching down, she began to pull her clothes back on. “Sarah’s boy was named James, and Nathan was the father,” she muttered.

How did she know that?

“James is dead. He was killed by the Guard.” There was a flash of intense pain in her chest. “This baby is dead too. How did my baby die?”

She stood and looked at William. He was watching her, his face impassive. It unnerved her. Shouldn’t he be freaking out like she was very close to doing?

“Whose baby?”

The answer was there. It was in the back of her brain, but it was getting closer. If she reached, she could…

“Mara. Mara’s baby,” she whispered.

 

William grinned. “Yes! There it is! You have no idea how worried I was that you wouldn’t remember.”

Lexie was stunned at this sudden change in him. “Mara’s real? The dreams really happened?”

“Yes!”

“You knew this whole time. You didn’t have amnesia.”

“’Fraid not.”

She felt stupid. She had fallen for his act, believed that he had been just as lost and confused as she was. The walls she had built to protect herself had weakened, and she was paying for it.

“Why? Why did you do this?”

“I made a promise a long time ago, and I finally have a chance to make it happen.” He paused. “You see, that isn’t your body. It doesn’t belong to Audrey or any of the other saviors of Haven. It belongs to my wife, Mara, and I’m here to get her back.”

“Get her back? How? She’s gone.”

He stood and walked towards her. She backed up until her back was against the dresser. “No. She’s still in there, buried under false memories. She would have been buried under your memories too, but the Barn was destroyed. You didn’t get to stick.” He smiled sadly. “The barriers between personalities have been weakening. That’s why you’re remembering. It’s allowed Mara to fight to the surface. When I felt that spark, I knew she was close.”

“So that’s why you slept with me?” She looked towards the bed. “To get her back? Wow, you would do anything, wouldn’t you?”

“Anything.”

“I should have known. I’ve only ever attracted assholes. Why should anything change?” She shoved past him, her head aching worse than it ever had.

“Now, that hurts. Lexie, I really do like you.”

“Get out,” she ordered, “and go to hell.”

“I’ve been in hell. The Barn. I was trapped there, watching over and over as personality after personality was forced on Mara. I was powerless to do anything until now.” By the time he finished he was yelling.

Lexie crossed her arms. “In order for her to come back, I have to leave. I’m not dying so that you can have your wife back.”

Now William looked sad. “You’ve been dying since you escaped the Barn, Lexie. I told you, the imprint didn’t stick. You don’t have much time left.”

She shook her head, trying to deny his words but feeling that it was true. Tears fell down her cheeks. “No. You did this. The sparks triggered something. I could have had years but you helped things along. You killed me.”

“Not physically, but you will go insane. There are so many different personalities in there. Their memories will merge until you don’t know who you are.” He stepped towards her. “Or, you can let Mara have her body back. Unlike the others, you can choose. You can let go.”

The headache grew until she felt like screaming. She held herself, shaking. “Did you ever like me, or were you laughing at how stupid I was to fall for you?” She asked, needing to know before she made her choice.

William was silent for a few moments. “I do like you, Lexie. Not in a romantic way, but I like how feisty you are. You’re not boring. If there was some way for both of you to exist, I would want it. But there isn’t. So please, let Mara have her body back.” He sounded sincere and she chose to believe him.

Lexie let out a sob and nodded. There was really no other choice. She wasn’t willing to go insane. She sniffed and tried to compose herself. Lexie DeWitt faced things with composure and humor. “You know, I got to say that Mara’s a lucky woman.” She gave him a wicked grin and winked.

“That is why I like you.” He smiled and grew serious. “I am sorry.”

“Just…don’t forget me. All right?” She asked, sitting down on the bed. Closing her eyes, she let go, allowing the darkness to engulf her.


	21. Chapter 21

Mara opened her eyes, and the first thing that she saw was William looking down at her, concerned.

“Mara?”

She reached up and lightly ran her fingers over his hairline. It was a little shorter than the last time that she saw it. Her fingers moved down over his eyes, his nose, along the lines of his lips.

“Mara, is that you?”

She nodded, unable to speak. He pulled her up, wrapping his arms around her so tightly that she could barely breathe. She held him just as tightly, sobs shaking her.

“I told you I would get you back. I promised, didn’t I?”

The need to breathe properly made her pull away. She kept holding his hands, though, and leaned against his shoulder. “Thank you. How much time has passed?”

“You don’t remember? You weren’t aware?”

She shook her head. “I was only aware in the Barn. When it was stripping the imposter away, for a few moments I could get close to the surface…but then I would be buried again.” She shuddered, and he pulled her closer. “I think the memories are there. I can probably access them, but right now I just want to be me.”

“Three hundred and eighty-three years. You went away in 1628 and it is 2011.”

Mara squeezed her eyes shut and buried her face in his shoulder. “Damn them.”

“Hey, you’re back now. We can leave this place and they’ll never find us.”

“Where are we?” She felt him stiffen, and she pulled away from him. “William, where are we?”

“Haven. We’re in Haven.”

Haven? It still existed? It was supposed to have been destroyed after a few generations. She stood and stormed onto the deck. She took in everything, how it had grown over the years from a tiny village to this large, thriving town. She clenched her fists and walked along the deck to the back of the building, staring out over the water.

“Mara?” William came up behind her and rested his hand on her shoulder. “Let’s just go. Please?”

 

She was about to answer when she heard footsteps. She looked towards the sound, and a group of people came around the corner. Mara turned to them and leaned her hip against the deck. Two of the people she knew very well. The others, she didn’t recognize. Reluctantly, she scanned Lexie’s memories to find out who they were. What she found made her sick and furious. She straightened and narrowed her eyes.

“Lexie, uh, Jennifer and Dave have come concerns,” Dwight said.

Mara smiled. “I’m sorry, Lexie’s not here.”

“It happened,” Jennifer told Dave.

“Who…who are you?” Nathan demanded, reaching for his gun.

She pointed at Dave. “I’m the friend you abandoned.” She pointed at Jennifer. “The friend you betrayed.” She pointed at Nathan. “The woman whose body you impregnated.” She pointed at Duke. “And last but not least, the woman whose body you screwed. But all of you can call me Mara.”

Jennifer stepped forward. “Mara? It’s really you? Thank goodness.”

“Don’t pretend that you care,” Mara spat.

“Mara, I didn’t know what Charlotte would do. If I had, I would have tried to stop her. It made me sick when I found out.”

“Someone want to fill me in?” Dwight asked. “Who’s Mara?”

“Mara is the original inhabitant of the body.”

“Owner. I own this body,” Mara corrected.

“Owner,” Jennifer acknowledged. “William is her husband.”

Duke asked. “How do you know this?”

Jennifer looked uncomfortable. “I know Mara from a long time ago.” She gestured from herself to Dave, and then to Mara and William. “We’re from a different world. It was a horrible place, so we came here to build a new life.”

“Wait, I thought you were Vince’s brother.” Nathan stated.

“Vince is actually my descendant,” Dave explained.

“Mine too, since Dave is my father,” Jennifer added.

Duke, Nathan, and Dwight were stunned.

Dave chuckled. “That’s why we tell people that Vince is my brother. It makes things easier.”

“He knows everything?” Duke asked.

Dave nodded. “Everything except that…Mara and William created the Troubles.”

 

Everybody processed this, and their expressions changed to confusion, disbelief, and, finally, outrage. Dwight pulled out his Taser and aimed it at Mara. “Explain.”

“Troubles? Oh, you mean the curses. Yeah, I did that.”

“We did it,” William told them.

“Why?” Nathan demanded. “What could a whole town have possibly have done to deserve this? Innocent people have died! Lives—“

“Innocent! Nobody in this town is innocent,” William shouted, stepping forward. “Nobody.”

“Tell them,” Jennifer said softly. “Tell them what happened.”

William clenched his jaw and looked away. Mara crossed her arms. “This town…your ancestors…thought my daughter was a witch. They hung her and burned her body.”

Duke shook his head. “No. No, I don’t believe that. That’s not us.”

Mara smirked. “Your ancestor said the same thing. That’s why I gave him a gift, not a curse.”

“A gift! You bi—“

“You don’t get to be angry with me. Neither of you get to be angry at me for anything after what you did!” she yelled, gesturing between Duke and Nathan. She held her rage on a leash, and it was taking everything she had not to curse them again. William tried to wrap his arm around her for support, but she brushed him away. She couldn’t stand to be touched at the moment.

 

“What did my daughter do?” Dwight asked. His Taser was still pointed at Mara, and she wondered if he was getting tired yet.

“Pardon?”

“My daughter. What did my eight year old daughter do to deserve to be Troubled?”

“What are you talking about? I didn’t curse children.”

“My daughter died because her Trouble activated! She was eight!” Dwight shouted.

“That’s ridiculous. The curse activates when the person turns twenty-two, the same age my daughter was when she died. I wouldn’t hurt children.”

“Things have changed. Now the Troubles can activate at any age, even newborns,” Nathan informed her.

Mara took a step back. “No. That’s not how it was meant to be. Children were left alone.”

“My baby girl died because she got the same Trouble as me," Dwight said.

_“No. Please no.” It came out as a whine. “Not my baby.”_

Mara collapsed onto a deck chair, her anger replaced by despair. “No. I specified when I did it. They took my baby but I refused to take theirs. No children were supposed to be hurt.”

Children had died. She hadn’t intended it, but it had happened. They were no better than the Havenites.

 

To her surprise, Dwight lowered his Taser and knelt in front of her. “I know what the soul-crushing pain from losing a child feels like. I also know the all-consuming desire to make the ones responsible pay.”

Mara shook her head. “No matter what I did, it didn’t…it didn’t fill the hole.” It was still there.

“Nothing ever will.”

“I’m sorry. I never intended… Why are you being nice? You should hate me.”

“Because I understand.” He placed his hand on the arm of the chair. “Can you take these Troubles away? End them so that no more children will be hurt?”

Mara shook her head. “No, especially if they have mutated. They’re in your cells. The only way is through the Crockers. We made sure of that. There is nothing either of us can do.”

Duke swore and hit the railing with his hand. Nathan look resigned, and Dwight stood. “You’re telling the truth?”

“Yes.”

“She is,” William confirmed. “So what now? Are you going to kill us? Arrest us?” William asked.

“I think enough people have died,” Dave said. “Besides, we’re going to need the both of you.”

“Why?”

“If you can’t make the Troubles go away, then you need to remain here and help people solve them.”

“What? No. We’re going away from here,” William protested.

“Can I talk to him? Alone?” Mara asked, gesturing to the apartment. Dwight nodded, and Mara pulled William inside.

 

 

“Let’s get out of here. We’re together now. Let’s just go.” He wrapped his arms around her.

Mara stood stiff in his embrace. This didn’t feel right. She should not get everything she wanted while the others got nothing. “I can’t, William.”

“Why?”

“I need to make amends for what I’ve done.” She turned and faced him. “I need to make sure that no more children die because of what we did.”

“Mara, there is nothing you can do!”

As she looked past him to where the others were waiting outside, the answer came to her. It hurt, though. She was finally free.

But it seemed right. It wasn’t much, but it was something.

“Mara?”

She took a deep breath and said the words that would doom them both. “I’m turning back into Audrey.”

William took a step back. “No.”

“William, it’s the only way. We have to do something for them. Audrey can help them.”

“The Barn is destroyed. She doesn’t have that power anymore.”

“We both know it wasn’t the Barn. That just magnified things. Her immunity came from me, but her ability to help them came mostly from her.”

“She wasn’t real!” he protested desperately. Mara felt a pain in her chest. She didn’t want to do this to him.

Hadn’t she caused enough pain?

“She was to them. She’s still here. The barriers are down. I can access her memories.”

“I waited for almost four hundred years to get you back. I worked so hard to make you remember.”

“Why did you curse the Driscolls?”

William shrugged. “It was part of my back-up plan.”

“All right, but why did you have to sleep with Lexie?”

“She needed to believe that I fell for her, and just a kiss wasn’t enough to bring her walls down. Are you angry?”

Mara shook her head. It was different from what Duke and Nathan had done. “No. You knew this is my body, and you were trying to rescue me.”

 

Mara walked over to the dining room table and took out a piece of paper and wrote a letter. Placing it in an envelope she handed it to William. Gently, she kissed him. It was so familiar that she sighed. He wrapped his arms around her, holding her tightly.

“Please don’t do this,” he begged, his voice cracking.

“I have to. This time it’s not a punishment. I’m choosing to do it. So, please, let me make this choice.”

William placed his forehead on hers and picked up a lock of her hair. “Wrong color,” he said absently. She could tell that his resolve was crumbling. Instead of using it like she normally would, she let him decide on his own. “I love you.”

“I love you, too. I always will,” she replied. “Please give Audrey that letter. Now go. You don’t want to be here for this.”

“I’m going to be with you as long as I can.”

Mara sat down in a chair, closed her eyes, and took a deep breath. Concentrating on Audrey, she surrendered.

 

 

Audrey opened her eyes and looked around. A man with short brown hair and blue eyes was standing across the table from her. He had such a deep look of anguish that she could almost feel it. “What’s wrong? Who are you?”

“I’m William. All of your answers are in this letter.” He handed it to her. “Your friends are out there. If you’ll excuse me, I’ll just...” He left the apartment through the back door and she opened the letter.

 

Duke, Dwight, and Nathan were waiting on the deck. Audrey stepped into the sunlight and smiled at them. “Hi, guys.”

Duke frowned. “That’s not funny, Mara.”

“I’m not Mara. She’s gone. She, uh, she chose to let me live. I’m here to stay.” Audrey folded the letter and slipped it into her pocket. Duke studied her, obviously looking for signs that it was a deception. “It’s really me.”

“Audrey?” She nodded, hugging him. “You’re here for good?”

“Yeah. I am. Still want me?”

He pulled off his necklace and she saw that her wedding ring was on it. He unclasped it and held the ring up, questioning. She nodded, and he slipped it on her hand. Behind him, she could see Nathan smiling.

“Welcome back,” Nathan said, hugging her.

“Thank you. I don’t know why she chose me.”

“I’m glad that she did. I wouldn’t have wanted it to be Sarah. She would have been devastated to find out about James.”

Audrey turned to Dwight. “I know why I’m still here, and, of course, I’ll continue to help the Troubled.”

“Okay. It’s good to have you back, Audrey.”

“I’m glad to be back,” she told him, but it felt bittersweet.


	22. Chapter 22

Audrey settled back into her life in Haven. Nine months after she regained control of the body, Morgan Parker-Crocker was born. Duke and Audrey were delighted, as was the godfather, Nathan. Nathan met the baby the day after the birth. Duke was so horrified by the sappy, baby-talking mess that Nathan became that Nathan was forbidden from ever holding the baby again. That ban lasted for about a week.

Two years later, Steven Parker-Crocker was born, completing the family.

 

Audrey and Duke raised their children, who grew up happy and healthy. Morgan inherited Audrey’s immunity to the Troubles while Steven didn’t. Duke feared that this meant their son had the Crocker curse. Audrey reassured him that they would just have to explain it to Steven rather than let him discover it on his own, like the Crockers had before him.

When she was old enough, Audrey started training Morgan how to help the Troubled. Like her mother, she had a gift.

 

The only real negative in their lives was the fact that Duke was aging. Every day, a new wrinkle would appear on his face. Grey showed up in his hair and goatee.

Audrey remained just as she was the day that they met.

Neither of them commented on it, just like they never talked about why Audrey was immune to the Troubles. It was just a part of their lives together. Their children, along with the rest of the town, knew not to ask questions. Haven’s ability to look the other way about strange things was still strong.

 

Duke died at the age of eighty-nine. It was peaceful and in his sleep. Audrey was heartbroken and allowed herself some time to mourn with her children and grandchildren. Three months after Duke’s death, she packed a bag and left her house for good.

 

The road sign said private, but she drove down it anyway until she was forced to stop. Putting her bag on her back, she began to hike. Four miles in, the trees thinned, and she came upon a large cabin. Bracing herself, she knocked on the door.

William answered and was shocked to see her.

“Audrey? What are you doing here?”

“Audrey died today. It’s me, William.”

“Mara? I thought I felt you change, but didn’t think that it was possible. I thought you were gone for good.”

“I let you believe that because there was no way you would have left me alone. I know you.”

He looked angry for a moment but let it go. “You do know me.”

“Audrey borrowed the body and lived her life.”

“I know. That broken leg forty years ago was hell.” Their connection was still in place.

“So was that concussion twenty years ago.” Duke had not been happy to find out about it. Audrey had reminded Duke that if it wasn’t for Mara they would not be together, so he was in no position to complain. “Do you still want—“

She was interrupted by him kissing her.


End file.
